Into The Depths of Hell
by theruthlesscow
Summary: Inuyasha went to Hell with Kikyo. Kagome is heartbroken, and she goes home. Will she ever see him again? What is Hell really like? Inuyasha is in for a lot more than he bargained for, but then he remembers why he made his choice... Rated for language, graphic violence, character death, and mature situations. Complete.
1. It is Finished

**Chapter One**

**It Is Finished**

"So, it is finished."

Sesshomaru grinded his teeth in pain, as he rose off of one knee and began to walk away. The fight against his worst enemy was finally over. He could go back to his normal life… which was? Well, the point was that Naraku was now dead, and his reign of terror had been terminated. No one left the battlefield without serious injuries that day. Not even the great demon lord of the West. Probably the most mortifying thing of all was that he had lost… his tail. Sure it would grow back, but the pain and shame of it all wouldn't ever go away. He had also sustained several injuries to his body. When he transformed into his yukai state he was, needless to say, a much bigger target. He was sliced all over his body and his limbs were bleeding profusely.

Inuyasha choked on some of the blood that slowly began to fill his torn lungs. He had been injured beyond what he had expected. Truth be told he didn't know if he would make it. Only one thing ever kept him going at a time like this… and that was she; Kagome, the one who always stood by his side no matter what… but right now at the end, she was nowhere to be seen. Inuyasha's heart stopped as he surveyed the complete destruction that lay before him, searching for any movement or any signs of life. He hadn't seen her in quite some time now and he was worried beyond reason.

Kagome's head hurt like hell. She felt as though her brain was about to combust. Through the immense agony she still managed to gradually sit up on the ground. Well that wasn't such a good idea because once she did it she got dazed and fell straight back down. Awaiting more pain she held her breath. The ground never came… Sango ran up behind her and pulled her back up. Kagome was now being cradled in her friend's arms as she opened her eyes. Sango looked down as she saw the pain and anguish on her best friend's face as she tried to speak. Breathing heavily Kagome managed to utter out a few words,

"Inu-Inuyasha… where.. is he?"

"I am not sure Kagome, but don't worry I'm sure he is okay."

Kagome smiled half-heartedly as her friend tried to comfort her.

"How…is Miroku?"

Sango glance over at the monk with grief, and regret in her eyes.

"I…I don't know. He hasn't moved in over an hour." Sango's voice trailed off with every word that came out of her mouth.

Kagome lay back on the ground as pain rushed her body. she needed to find Inuyasha, and she wasnt going to let anything stop her. with the help of Sango the girl managed to get to her feet. With the help of a stick, that she used as a cane, Kagome tried to make it back to the battlefield. She hoped with all her heart, that Inuyasha would still be there. She prayed that he would be okay. She wouldnt know what to do with herself if he didnt make it through this battle. No. She couldn't burden herself with such thoughts; she had to think positive, she needed to stay focused. She knew everything would be okay. after making it up a small hill, the weak girl collapsed to the ground and fell unconcious...

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

I know this was an incredibly short first chapter, but I promise that it gets much better, with more detail and longer chapters. I pretty sure all of my other chapters are at least twice, or three times this length. So please don't give up on in quite yet... give it a chance! PLEASE


	2. The Flashback

Chapter two: The Flashback 

Inuyasha was fighting with Naraku, and it was Naraku that definitely had the upper hand. Inuyasha already had a huge gash on his right leg that practically immobilized him, due to all the pain. On top of that he'd been hit too many times in the chest and broke a few ribs and to make it even worse he was loosing a lot of blood from his punctured lungs. It was hard for him to breath, or even move for that matter.

Miroku and Sango were busy with their own problems. Miroku was fighting alongside Sango as more and more demons began to close in around them. They fought a fierce and honorable battle but it was just too much for the two humans to handle. After a short while they'd been backed into a corner with countless demons closing in around them.

" What do we do now Miroku!" Songo said in a very frightened voice.

"Don't worry my dear Sango. I will never let anything happen to you."

Just then Miroku pushed Sango down into a small crevice in the wall they were up against. He ordered her to stay there, and to promise not to come out until it was safe. She was way too confused to realize what was going on so she was obligated to concur with the monk.

" If I don't come back you must go on with out me." Miroku had such seriousness in his voice when he's said those words, and Sango just nodded her head. Miroku took off running at the demons.

" Miroku, wait!!"

It was already too late. Miroku had opened the wind tunnel and began to suck in the wretched creatures around him. Just as suspected hundreds of Saniosho (sp?) came flying into view threatening the monk to go any further. He just ignored them and continued his attack. The bugs began to squirm and they were slowly sucked into the vortex in Mirokus hand.

" Ahhhhh!!" ' This is all for her.'

That's all he could think at the time as the shearing pain began to rush throughout his body. It was so painful. Worse than it ever had been before. Just then Sango came out into the clearing to see the last of the demons and Sanosho plunge into the dark hole.

" NO! MIROKU!!!" Sango ran as fast as she could towards the monk.

He was coughing rigorously and throwing up small amounts of blood the more he tried to speak. He collapsed onto the ground and simply lay there…so still…hardly even breathing. Sango rushed over to his side in an instant.

" Miroku….why?"

"hehe. Because I love you stupid." Miroku coughed up some blood.

" But…but… wh-"

" Shhh Sango, it's okay. Everything's going to be fine." ' As long as your safe.' Was all he thought.

" Oh Miroku…. You didn't have to do that."

" I know. I wanted to though. I want you to live the rest of your life, with no worries."

" But without you I wont be able to live!" Sango said with tears slowly cascading down her soft face.

' She's so beautiful.' Was all Miroku could think at the time. " You must promise me that you will move on… Okay Sango?"

Sango didn't want to say yes, but if it was his last wish then she was obligated to accept it. " Yes Miroku…I promise"

" Good." Miroku reached up and brushed the tears away from her face. " Don't cry Sango, I will see you again some day."

Miroku's skin began to turn paler by the passing minutes, but Sango still had a tiny shred of hope that he would live through this.

Back with Inuyasha 

" Good Kagome is safe." ' That's all that matters to me anymore.' Kagome had gone off to fight with Miroku and Sango.

" Little brother, are you actually loosing this fight?"

" Feh. Of course not stupid!" Inuyasha spat out.

" Although I hate to admit this…but I could really use your help right now Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaro practically fainted at the words that came out of Inuyasha's mouth. ' Damn is he serious.'

"uhh are you serious Inuyasha? You've never once in your life asked for my help."

"Listen I don't care about pride or how others think of me anymore. All I care about is that Kagome makes it out alive. I think we should call a truce…at least for the time being."

"You really care about her don't you?"

"Y-yes…I do. More than anything else in this world. I would give up anything for her. She has helped me so much, and I've done so little for her."

"Very well brother, I will aid you in this fight. Don't get the idea that I've changed, but I also want to destroy Naraku."

"Then lets do this already!"

"Ok. Lets go."

The two brothers charged at Naraku at full speed. Although they didn't have a plan they still new what to do. Somehow they hoped that it would work out. As Inuyasha attacked from the front, Sesshomaru flanked Naraku from his left side. Inuyasha dove at him, but only managed to slice a tenticle off. On Sesshomaru's part he had managed to cut straight through Naraku's stomach. Pieces of his body flew in opposite directions.

"Ha! Do you really think that doing that will have any effect on me!"

"Just you wait Naraku! We will destroy you once and for all, right here, right now!"

Inuyasha was furious now. He wasn't really sure how to beat Naraku any way. He new that they had to get to his heart but neither Inuyasha or Sesshomaru had a clue to it's where abouts. The two brothers new what they were dealing with, but they still were uncertain of Naraku's full power. Naraku had already reformed his body and the two dog demons were on the move again.

Not too far away 

Kagura had finally found Naraku's heart! She had to fight and kill Kana and Hakudoshie to get it though. She was already about to die but she needed to kill Naraku first. She would have simply smashed the heart, but it just wasn't that easy. No. She would somehow have to get the heart back into Naraku's body. She didn't think this would be possible, but once she sensed Inuyasha and Sesshomaru she knew there was a chance. As she approached the fight her head began to hurt more and more. With each passinf secound unbearable pain was running through her body.

Back with Inu and Sessh 

The brothers looked up to see Kagura not too far in the distance. Naraku was too busy fighting off the two to even notice her presence. Inuyasha looked closer and could tell that she was holing a heart. He nodded and jumped over to Seshomaru.

"Kagura has his heart!" Inuyasha said in a low whisper so Naraku wouldn't hear.

"Yes I realize that but we need to cut him again to place the heart in his body."

"I know. This might finally be it so lets move fast."

"Agreed. Lets go."

Naraku wasn't quite prepared for what happened next, because he hadn't expected Kagura to still be alive after he's ordered Kanna and Hakudoshie to kill her. The brothers tried the same tactic as before, but this time it would work. As they swooped in for the attack Kagura got into position right behind Naraku. She somehow managed to cover her aura so Naraku didn't sense her movements at all. Naraku was now separated at the torso once again, and the time had finally come.

"You fools, it didn't work last time so what are you expecting to gain from doing it again!"

"Well you see Naraku I have your heart right here." Kagura was now right behind Naraku talking into his ear.

"WHAT!!"

"You seem rather surprised to see me Naraku. What? Did you think I was dead already?

Just then the wind sorceress pushed the heart up Naraku's rib cage right into place where it should be. Naraku's eyes widened as his body went back together. He knew that now if he was to be injured he could not regenerate. Just before Kagura could make her escape one of the tentacles pierced throught her neck. Naraku took out her heart and crushed it. Kagura just fell limp onto the ground in a heap.

"Damn wench! I will never die!"

"That's where you're wrong Naraku." Inuyasha had such certainty in his voice. "You wont be able to live through it this time.

The brothers charged at Naraku full force. Sesshomaru cut off his arm and most of his tentacles, while Inuyasha had stabbed him straight through his back. Naraku coughed up some blood, that was now running through his veins. A bright light emitted around his body and the two Inu's were thrown away with great force.

"Even though I have my heart, all of my jewel shards give me enough power to crush both of you!"

just then a sacred arrow came flying throught the forrest with immense speed, rocketing straight at Naraku from the back. He didn't notice this until it was too late though. The arrow pierced into his back and jewel shards came shooting out of the whole through his gut.

"Now your dead!!" Inuyasha screamed, as he once again lunged at Naraku.

Inuyasha sliced Naraku in half for the last time just as another arrow came out of the woods. Naraku was now separated from the rest of his appendagesand had nothing to block the arrow with. The arrow went straight through his heart in his chest and light started to come out of his body. Inuyasha jumped back to watch Naraku be gin to evaporate into thin air.

"Noooo!! This cannot be happening!!!"

"Oh it is Naraku, and there's absolutely nothing you can do now!" Inuyasha just stood there and watched as Naraku vanished into the sky.

Inuyasha stood in silence for a couple of minutes and then slowly made his way into the forest from which the arrows had come from. He looked around him and didn't see anyone.

"Kagome? Kagome is that you?"

"After all that we've been through you can still only think about that filthy incarnation!"

"I love her Kikyo and there's nothing that will change that."

"You do realize that you still have to uphold your promise?"

"Yes…I do." Inuyasha's eyes were filled with sorrow and regret once the words left his mouth.

"Good. Because you know what'll happen if you don't comply."

"Yes Kikyo I am aware of the consequences."

"Ok then. Shall we be on our way then?"

ºººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººº

SOOOO. What does everyone think?? Good? Bad? So-so?

It was just a bit longer than the last one….just a little though… REVIEW PLEASE


	3. Last Day Lunch Time!

I forgot this in both of my other chapters…I hope no one comes to kill me now

DISCLAIMER: I own absolutely nothing!! So don't sue me

… And here we go..

**Chapter Three**

**Last Day-Lunch Time!**

_Last time:_

"_Yes Kikyo I am aware of the consequences."_

"_Ok then. Shall we be on our way then?"_

_Now:_

"Well you see…. I was wondering if I could just have one last day with my friends. I don't want them to wake up, and me being gone with no warning to them…So is it possible for just one more day? It's all I will ever ask of you again."

"Fine Inuyasha. But only one day and no matter what, at sundown tomorrow I am going to come take you!"

"Okay Kikyo. Thank you."

Inuyasha left to go find Kagome, and when he got there he found her laying on the ground in a bloody heap. He wasnt much better himself and he could hardly carry her bad to the village. With the help of Sango he got her back and bandaged her up. After a few hours she woke up and found out that she was healing, and in the hut. Kagome looked about trying to figure out how she got there and then her eyes widened when she saw Inuyasha's limp form that saw sprawled against the wall. His body was so torn, and mangled. He was losing way too much blood and she needed to do something fast, or he would die. Everyone else was asleep, so she had to do everything herself. When she was done with his bandages she nestle beside him and fell into a deep sleep.

_Next Day: _

Inuyasha woke up very early that morning. For the longest time he just sat there in the same position, not moving and inch, and he starred at her beautiful face. He watched her small chest slowly rise and fall with every breath she took. His heart was pounding faster and faster. Then he just couldn't take it anymore. He wanted her with all of his heart and soul, but he had to resist all temptation to pounce on her and take her then and there. He was about to give in, but then he leapt from the ground and dashed off into the forest.

'What was I thinking!! I know I cant get close to her!'

Inuyasha had decided that today would be special. He was going to plan everything. He wanted her to remember at least one good time she'd spent with him… just one. Inuyasha thought that he would let his friends sleep in as long as they wanted to, especially for Sango, because she'd lost Miroku in the fight. Inuyasha had a plan that would make everyone happy in the end…except for him that is.

Inuyasha began to pick fruit and gather other food for a big lunch when everyone woke up. He pulled apples, plucked berries, and killed a few wild boar, chicken, and duck. All this time he was reminiscing about all of the memories he shared with Kagome. Everything was rapidly swirling through his mind in a blur.

He remembered so much, but still wished he'd been able to do more. He remembered everything from when they first met, to the time he had to sleep by her side to keep her warm in the night, and also all of the times she would fall asleep against his chest. Every time she had looked at him with those gorgeous blue eyes that he could die for. The way her hair would wave in the cool autumn winds. Then he remembered their first kiss…well their only kiss. It only happened because she had to save his life and there was no other way. He didn't expect her to ever love him in that sort of way, but never the less, it was still a moment that they had shared together.

_At Camp:_

Kagome, Sango, and Shippo all awoke that morning to the most intoxicating aromas. Their mouths began to water, and Shippo even began to drool. No one had eaten since the fight the other day, and that was a good eighteen hours ago. Plus all the fighting really worked up an appetite. Each of them slowly got up off the ground and then laid their eyes upon a large banquet right in front of them. Right there, was all the food they could possibly desire; Ramen, chicken, eggs, ham, apples, peaches, grapes, and other various fruits and vegetables. How could it have all possibly gotten there? They all looked around, but saw nothing… but then up in a tree they heard an all too familiar voice:

"Feh. You guys finally decided to wake up."

"Inu-Inuyasha?" Kagome managed to stutter out. "Did y-you do all of this?"

"No. It was the Easter bunny!"

"Very funny!" Kagome whispered out in a rather sarcastic tone.

"B-but w-why?" It was now Sango's turn to gawk at the giant feast that lay before them.

"Well you guys haven't eaten for a while…and I figured we could celebrate our victory."

"What's the point… If Miroku's gone…then…"

"Now who's to say that Miroku isn't right here with us!"

"Yes Inuyasha I realize he is here in spirit but I cant help b-" She was cut off by a voice behind her. 'No it can't be…can it?' Her mind was swirling.

"My dear Sango, now why would I miss such an occasion that Inuyasha took so long to prepare?"

Sango glanced at Inuyasha and noticed the bid smile implanted on his face… she fainted... Kagome shot up off the ground and spun around so fast the wind hit Inuyasha in the face. Shippo did the same thing but was very hesitant. They both stared teary-eyed at the monk that stood in front of them. The two leapt from their position and knocked Miroku onto the ground hugging him to death.

"Miroku…how is this possible?" Kagome's mind was in a daze, racing about for any explanation.

"Well you see Lady Kagome, you can thank Inuyasha for that part. He used the jewel to wish me back!"

Shippo jumped onto Inuyasha and hugged him, practically strangling him. Kagome just stood there and starred into Inuyasha's eyes. Her jaw dropped to the ground, and her eyes popped out of their sockets. She soon came back to reality and jumped onto Inuyasha as well. She was crying and hugging him.

"No, no, please don't cry Kagome…you know I hate that!"

"These are tears of joy Inuyasha. I'm just so happy right now."

Inuyasha spun around and plopped onto the ground in his Idian-style position with Kagome on his lap. He then swiveled her body so they were face to face. He just smiled, kissed her forehead and then whispered into her ear…

"Okay lets eat."

* * *

So what did everyone think about this chapter??

Reviews, recommendations, and constructive criticism are all welcome.

Flames are accepted but not welcomed. If you don't like it then stop reading!! It's that simple.

So anyway please tell me what you think!!!


	4. Together Again

DISCLAIMER: I still own nothing!!!

Chapter Four 

**Together Again**

It was now about three o'clock in the afternoon and the gang was just lounging around in the hut.

"So why did you do it Inuyasha? I thought you wanted to become full demon."

Inuyasha was mad at Kagome for asking him that question. Although he knew it was coming sooner or later, he didn't want to answer it. Miroku noticed how uncomfortable he was and decided to cut in. Inuyasha had told Miroku everything about what was going to happen. He had told him quite a while ago, but said he would literally kill him if he told any of the others.

"So, what does everyone want to do on this lovely day?"

Kagome lost her train of thought and began to think.

"We can go swimming!"

"Okay!" The rest of the group answered at the same time, even a small meow from Kirara was heard.

After the gang had gotten ready they all set off for a small lake that Inuyasha had noticed a few days ago. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were all riding on Kirara, while Kagome was on Inuyasha's back.

"Inuyasha. Why are you acting so strange today?" Kagome said into his little puppy ear.

"I don't know what you are talking about Kagome…"

"Yes you do! You ke-" Inuyasha cut her off.

"LOOK, we're here!"

Kagome was now very irritated that Inuyasha kept changing the subject. She was about to yell at him, but then she noticed the lake. It was so beautiful. There were cherry-blossom trees surrounding the area, with grassy hills and flowers as far as the eye could see. It was the most gorgeous landscape any of them had ever seen.

"Oh Kami! It's so…so..."

"Perfect?" Inuyasha answered to Kagome.

"Yes. It's all so stunning Inuyasha."

"Now lets have some fun shall we?"

Kagome couldn't believe that the word "fun" just came out of Inuyasha's mouth. He was acting so strangely today…and she was determined to figure out what was causing his change.

After a short while Sango, Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kirara were all in the cool waters while Kagome and Miroku were sitting on the hill. Kagome noticed that they were all splashing and playing in the water. Even Inuyasha was laughing and having fun. Kagome definitely noticed something wrong though. She saw it in Inuyasha's eyes the first time he looked in her direction. She saw a swarm of emotion pouring out of them. Pain, guilt, sorrow, desire, and most of all…. love.

"Miroku. What on Earth is wrong with Inuyasha today? He's been acting so weird lately."

"Well Lady-Kagome, Inuyasha has only o-" Miroku stopped in the middle of his sentence as he noticed the death glare coming from a certain hanyou across the lake.

"He has only what? What is it Miroku?"

"Uhh, umm, nothing, nothing at all. Lets just have a nice day today with no worries."

It was killing Miroku, knowing that today was his best friend's last day with them. Not being able to tell anyone for the past month was even more painful. He understood why Inuyasha had to do it, but he just wished there was another way. Miroku knew that once he was gone the whole group would fall apart. He didn't want that to happen. Even though this was against his greatest judgment he still agreed to help Inuyasha keep his secret. He just wanted this to be a perfect day for Inuyasha.

It was now quite late at night and everyone was exhausted from the long day. Inuyasha realized that he only had a few hours left, and he wanted to make them the most memorable moments in Kagome's life. He walked over and scooped Kagome up in his arms and took off into the forest.

"Inu-Inuyasha? What are you doing?"

"I want to spend some time with you Kagome…Is there something wrong with that?"

Kagome was bewildered beyond imagination. Who the hell was this and what did they do to Inuyasha! This was so unlike him…something big must be about to happen for sure.

"No Inuyasha there is nothing wrong with that."

"Good."

A very short response came from the hanyou's lips. He wanted everything to be perfect tonight. He took Kagome to a grassy hill far up on a mountain. It was so beautiful up there. Kagome looked at the scene that lay before her eyes. They were on a mountain just above the village, and she could see the whole town and all the trees and huts in a small cluster right below them. The sun was bright and vast; it stretched across the horizon and emitted the most stunning orange-yellow glow. This was the most romantic sight she had ever laid her eyes on.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha's voice was so soft and sweet to her ears. "Now that it is all over…what are you thinking?"

"Well honestly I don't really know yet Inuyasha…" It was the truth, she really had no idea what to do right now.

"Okay. Do you think you might go back to your time and finish that school of yours?"

"Yeah… I guess so."

"Okay."

Something was definitely wrong now. Inuyasha always got mad when she wanted to go to school. What on earth could be happening! For a long time the two lay on the hillside looking up at the sun. Kagome soon fell asleep in Inuyasha's arms…for the last time. Her facial expression was so peaceful and happy, to Inuyasha she was the most beautiful being that ever walked this Earth.

Inuyasha slowly got up and carefully place Kagome on the soft grass. He placed his robe on top of her to keep her warm. He began to walk up to the top of the mountain, and stare at the setting sun. Kagome who wasn't completely asleep noticed this and was silently watching. What happened next pretty much knocked her back down the hill…

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

HAAAAAA sorry for leaving you like that…lol. I had to do it!! Whats gonna happen??

Is Kikyo gonna appear? Is she going to take him to hell right then with Kagome watching?? Who knows….oh wait..I do.

I got the next 2 chapters written already!!! Yeah that's right chapter five and six are already done…but I am going to be a pain in the ass and not post them until I get more reviews…muwahahaha


	5. Last Moments on Earth

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing and I never will!!

Chapter Five 

**Last moments on Earth**

_Last time:_

Inuyasha slowly got up and carefully place Kagome on the soft grass. He placed his robe on top of her to keep her warm. He began to walk up to the top of the mountain, and stare at the setting sun. Kagome who wasn't completely asleep noticed this and was silently watching. What happened next pretty much knocked her back down the hill…

_Now:_

Inuyasha looked up to the setting sun…he knew his time was almost up. He also knew that Kagome was watching and listening…but right now he didn't care what she might think of him. That's when he started to sing:

(Try listening to it, it will really help set the mood: "In the End" by Linkin Park)

_(It starts with)_

_One thing / I don't know why_

_It doesn't even matter how hard you try_

_Keep that in mind / I designed this rhyme_

_To explain in due time_

_All I know_

_time is a valuable thing_

_Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings_

_Watch it count down to the end of the day_

_The clock ticks life away_

_It's so unreal_

_Didn't look out below_

_Watch the time go right out the window_

_Trying to hold on / but didn't even know_

_Wasted it all just to_

_Watch you go_

_I kept everything inside and even though I tried / it all fell apart_

_What it meant to me / will eventually / be a memory / of a time when I tried so hard_

_And got so far_

_But in the end_

_It doesn't even matter_

_I had to fall_

_To lose it all_

_But in the end_

_It doesn't even matter_

_One thing / I don't know why_

_It doesn't even matter how hard you try_

_Keep that in mind / I designed this rhyme_

_To remind myself how_

_I tried so hard_

_In spite of the way you were mocking me_

_Acting like I was part of your property_

_Remembering all the times you fought with me_

_I'm surprised it got so (far)_

_Things aren't the way they were before_

_You wouldn't even recognize me anymore_

_Not that you knew me back then_

_But it all comes back to me_

_In the end_

_You kept everything inside and even though I tried / it all fell apart_

_What it meant to me / will eventually / be a memory / of a time when I tried so hard_

_And got so far_

_But in the end_

_It doesn't even matter_

_I had to fall_

_To lose it all_

_But in the end_

_It doesn't even matter_

_I've put my trust in you_

_Pushed as far as I can go_

_For all this_

_There's only one thing you should know_

_I've put my trust in you_

_Pushed as far as I can go_

_For all this_

_There's only one thing you should know_

_I tried so hard_

_And got so far_

_But in the end_

_It doesn't even matter_

_I had to fall_

_To lose it all_

_But in the end_

_It doesn't even matter_

As the song finished Kagome just sat there completely blown away be what she had heard. All of those words came straight from his heart and he was pouring his very soul into that song. He had such a great voice. Kagome could help but cry at the words that he sang. If it was true then she might never be able to be with Inuyasha. She wasn't sure what the words meant, but she knew that it wasn't going to be all too good. The same line kept spinning in her mind as she fell asleep_. "But In the end, it doesn't even matter…"_

Inuyasha finished his song and walked back down the hill as one tear fell from his face. It was all the truth. His life was over and there was nothing he could do about it now. He prayed with all his heart and soul that it wouldn't end this way, but he knew it wasn't going to change. He walked back up to Kagome and picked her up in his arms, and held her close…for the last time in his life.

He arrived back at camp to find everyone else asleep already and he placed Kagome on the ground next to the fire to keep her warm. He changed out of his robes and left them next to her. So she could remember him. A piece of him would now always be with her.

He walked slowly over to the tree that started his journey form the very beginning. He placed his hand on it and began to be flooded with memories; he just smiled as another tear fell from his face. He unsheathed his sword and lay it down at the base of the tree, sat down and began to write a letter.

He left his sword there; seeing as how he would no longer need it, and he wanted Kagome to have it so he could protect her even if he was no longer around. Inuyasha walked back to camp to find the others just how he had left them. They were all sleeping so peacefully, so he just placed the letter on top of his robes and began to follow one of Kikyo's soul collectors. He turned back to see her one last time…he ran back over to her and planted a kiss on her lips; then he turned and left her life…

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

AND!!! What did everyone think about this chapter???? Please review!! And yeah I know, the song fit this chapter soooo well. It was "In the End" by: Linkin Park .


	6. Inuyasha's Farewell

DISCLAIMER: Don't worry I still own nothing!!!

Chapter Six Inuyasha's Farewell 

Kagome awoke the next morning to the prattle of the birds amongst the trees. The sun shown brightly, warming her face and body. She then noticed that Inuyasha's hyouri was wrapped around her, and had kept her warm through the night. She smiled to herself, stretched and got up off the ground.

Kagome then walked over and began to make some breakfast. Not too long after Miroku, Sango, and Shippo all woke up too. Most likely due to the delicious smells from the cooking.

"Hey Kagome. Where is Inuyasha? He's usually here by the time your making ramen…" Sango sounded a bit worried…Inuyasha was NEVER late when it came to getting his food.

"I don't know Sango. Miroku, do you have any idea as to his where he may be?"

"I-I don't know…." Miroku just starred at the ground hoping neither of the women would see the expression on his face.

"Why are the rest of his robes here?" Sango noticed the rest of his robes neatly folded in the distance.

"I don't know…" Kagome walked over to the robes and noticed a piece of parchment that lay on top of them. "There's a letter here. I wonder what is says?" Kagome took out the letter and began to read its contents:

Kagome,

To start off I just want to say that I'm sorry. Sorry for all the times I've hurt you. Sorry for all the times I made you cry. Sorry for all the times I failed to protect you. I'm sorry for dragging you on this journey for my own selfish reason of obtaining the jewel. It wasn't right and I should have never brought you into this and I am sorry for everything I have put you through.

It's all over now and you can now move on with your life in peace. In peace with no threat from Naraku, and no more of me hurting you. You have fulfilled your promise to help me get the jewel, so now you can go back to your own time and finish school with your friends. You can also leave this life and return to the one with your family. I know they never wanted you to come here, and I know that they will be happy to have you back.

Throughout these past several months you have truly changed me. I am no longer the cold-hearted demon that I once was, never caring about anything but myself. With out you Kagome I don't know where I'd with out you to this day. Before I came across you I thought I was worthless; a filthy half-breed. You came into my life and taught me how to love, and you showed me how to appreciate my life. Kagome, with out you by my side I would have been nothing, and for that I give you my utmost gratitude.

I am now going to explain everything to you. Leave no unanswered questions. Tell you the truth! Tell you everything that you deserve to hear. I can only hope that you will understand.

It all started about two months after I met you. I was already beginning to fall for you, and I wanted to be with you. Just when I was about to tell you my feelings it all happened. I wasn't planning for any of this to happen but I guess it was just my fate. Late one night I went to go see Kikyo, and tell her what I had planned…. You followed me, saw what happened, but then you left before you could actually hear what went on. As I approached her she hugged me, I thought nothing of it so I hugged her back. Then she leaned in a kissed me. I wasn't prepared for it so it didn't register in my mind to what she was doing. I threw her off of me then told her to stop. She asked me if I was still going to go to hell with her. I told that I had changed my mind and I was in love with someone else now…that someone else was you Kagome.

I fell for you, and you opened up to me and cared for me in a way that only my mother had done. You were the only person other than her that has ever understood me. You were always around to comfort me. Ever since the day you pulled that arrow from my chest I noticed something about you. You were different, unique, I knew I could trust you. I knew from that first time I looked into your eyes, that you would be the one to change my life; for the better, or the worse.

After I told Kikyo that I had changed my mind about going to hell with her, she threatened you. I told her to leave you out of this and you didn't deserve to be in this fight. She told me that if I didn't go to hell with her than she would take your soul. No matter how much I didn't want to go with her, I had to except her proposal. I can't let you take the pain that I should rightfully be bestowed upon. I told her that no matter what happened I would still never love her again, but she said she didn't care and she wouldn't hesitate to take your soul. Kikyo told me I had one month left in this world.

With-in the next month I became even closer to you, which made all the more difficult to leave you. I went back to Kikyo after the month… you followed me again. She kissed me again and you once again, ran away. I begged her for more time. I pleaded and told her I would do anything….I had three more weeks.

During those weeks every time I looked at your beautiful face, part of my heart would rip out and be torn into pieces. It pained me so much to know that I would never be able to be with you. I never got to close to you because I knew that would just make it harder for me when I left.

Those weeks ended and my time was up. I went to see Kikyo, and once again you followed me into the forest. This time I knew that you were watching. I was the one to make the first move. I walked right up to Kikyo and kissed her, I told her that I loved her. I said it loud enough so you could hear me. I smelled your tears beginning to form and another large chunk of my heart was ripped in half. I kissed her hoping that you would get mad at me and leave the feudal era for good. I prayed that you would leave me and forget about me. Then it would be easier on you not realizing that I was gone. My plan didn't work. I mentally killed myself for doing that to you. I wanted so much to leave and go comfort you, tell you the truth, love you , and care for you. I knew that it could never happen though. I didn't want to leave like that so I asked Kikyo once more for more time. She said no, but that's when an idea popped into my head. It would surely give me more time. I told her that I still had to avenge her death and destroy Naraku. She agreed and gave me the time I needed, she said that once Naraku was destroyed then I would have to go. I said okay.

I hate to say this but that time has finally come. The day I was hoping would never come. It is here and there is nothing more I can do. I must leave you now and also leave this world. No matter how much I want to stay by your side for all of eternity I cannot do that. The only thing that matters to me anymore is that you are safe. Kagome I love you, and I will always love you, forever. I don't know if you love me in the same way, but what I do know is that you are the one that always stood by my side, and that is enough for me.

There are a few things that I ask of you. As my dying wishes I pray that you will comply. For one you must live the rest of your life. Do not dwell over the past. Move on and go back to your own time, and live the life that you deserve. Also I ask that you will never forget me. Memories are all that I have anymore, and I can only ask that you will remember also.

Now it is my turn to give to you Kagome. Kagome I give you all the love that I have left, I give you my heart, mind, and soul. Treasure the friendship that we had. Know that I love you and I will always love you, and I don't want you to ever deny that. I've left my robe to remember me by, and I also left something else by our tree. It will be of no use to me, to where I am going. Please. I beg of you. Remember me and never forget that I will always love you.

I leave you my heart and soul,

_Inuyasha _

Good-bye Kagome

Kagome stood there, her face was pale, and she was letting tears run down her face, and they slowly splashed onto the paper in her hands.

"No…." She said this in such a whisper that only Shippo could hear it because of his enhanced demon powers. Kagome then collapsed to the ground…

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Well that was one long ass letter right there…lol

I really worked hard on this so I would deeply appreciate a few reviews please.

Tell me what you think!!!


	7. Beyond the Grave

Since your reviews were all so kind I decided to give you this next chapter right away. I'm already done 8 and working on 9 Woot!!

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING

WARNING: BIOHAZRD….lol jk.

But I am warning you that in this chapter I might go into detail about "hell," and it may be somewhat gruesome.

**Chapter Seven**

**Beyond the Gave**

_Last Time With Inuyasha:_

_ He turned back to see her one last time…he ran back over to her and planted a kiss on her lips; then he turned and left her life... _

_Now:_

"It is time Inuyasha. You must now leave this world and forever join me in the depths of hell."

Inuyasha didn't even flinch at her cold-hearted words. Only one thing was on his mind...

'Kagome.' He had not once stopped thinking about her this whole time. He hung his head low, knowing he had failed and there was nothing he could possibly do. The pits of hell began to open up, and Kikyo slowly descended pulling Inuyasha with her.

Gradually the two fell through the ground in a spinning daze. They hit something hard… and it hurt. Inuyasha looked up and saw something he most definitely wasn't expecting. There he was, _not_ in front of two flaming gates with demons guarding them, but he saw a grassy hillside. It was beautiful; his mind was spinning with thoughts.

' Did we even come to the right place? Where am I? Kikyo? Are you still there?'

Inuyasha looked around and saw nothing. Although he hated Kikyo with a passion, he still didn't want to be there alone. He stood up and began to walk forward. As soon as he got over the minute grassy knoll that lay before him, he saw a small village just beyond a forest. Curiosity overcame him and he ventured further into the unknown.

_With Kikyo:_

'Where am I? Inuyasha? Are you there?' No answer.

Kikyo got up and looked at her surroundings, to take it all in. She realized that she was in some sort of tunnel or cave. A dim light shown at the end of the narrow passageway, and she began to amble in it's direction.

_Back to Inuyasha:_

'Is this the village? Kaede's village? It all looks so accustomed to me.'

As he walked further into the small village he noticed a few things. A few rather unpleasant things; things he would rather not come across. There, on the ground, lay a few of the townsfolk, completely slaughtered and ripped apart. The stench of blood and death still lingered through the air, and Inuyasha got a full whiff of it.

'NO! Is that Kaede's blood I smell! It can't be.'

Inuyasha ran as fast as his legs could move him. He raced towards the hut, but along the way he couldn't help but notice the complete utter destruction. Houses were smashed, buildings were on fire, and people were screaming. As he ran further he saw a horrifying sight; a sight from which he could hardly keep himself from throwing up on the spot. In the center of the village many of the men were impaled on giant spears and were sticking up out of the ground. The blood was still flowing from their wounds, and a few of them were still moving. Inuyasha was walking through a place of pure evil. It was full of death and despair. He eventually staggered over to the hut and instantly hurled on the ground beneath him. There in front of him, was Kaede; she had spears and arrows pinning her up against the side of the hut. Her neck was sliced open and her blood was pouring out. Inuyasha notice some claw marking across her torso. Some demon must have done this. Someone came up from behind Inuyasha and spoke.

"YOU!! You're the one that did this! I am going to kill you here and now!"

Inuyasha turned around and saw Miroku standing there. He was dripping with blood, torn all over his body, barely alive.

"WHAT! No I didn't do anything!"

"Do you not see the blood on your hands? You killed everyone! You killed Sango! And for that you will die!"

Inuyasha looked down at his hands. He saw his claws dripping with blood. His whole lower body was drenched with it.

'WHAT! No I didn't do any of this!' Inuyasha then smelled the blood of Sango on his claws. 'NO this can't be happening! I haven't touched anything since I've gotten here.'

"DIE filthy half-breed! WIND TUNNEL!" The vortex in the monk's hand began to open up.

Inuyasha reached for Tetsusaiga… wait; he didn't have it!! Where was it? Inuyasha had nothing to hold on to, as the tunnel began to open up. Inuyasha was digging his claws into the dirt clinging on for dear life.

"This is what you deserve for bringing death upon our village. Inuyasha just thought for a few moments. 'Well none of this makes any sense, but Miroku is convinced that I did this…and the blood is on my hands to prove it. I guess it's for the best…' With that thought Inuyasha let go of the ground and plunged into darkness.

_Kikyo:_

Kikyo approached the light and began to feel to warmth of the light. She opened her eyes to see a grassy green pasture with trees and flowers as far as the eye could see. It was so peaceful…The is until she heard and all to familiar voice from behind her.

"Well, well, if it isn't Kikyo. Why have you come here? Do you wish to die!"

"I don't know what you are talking about Kagome!" Kikyo turned around to see Inuyasha and Kagome standing close to each other with theirs arms intertwined.

Kagome took out her bow and reached for an arrow. "Let me ask you again bitch! Why have you come?"

Kikyo had no idea what to do, or say for that matter. She reached back to draw her bow and arrow….nothing. "Feh. Looks like you out of luck now Kikyo!"

"Inuyasha? Inuyasha I thought you cared about me?"

"As if! I only used you to get to the jewel! I never loved you. Kagome….kill her."

"Gladly."

Kikyo did the only thing that she thought was possible… she ran. She ran into the forest and as far away as possible. Just as she thought she was safe an arrow pierced through her back. The pain was unbearable. What was going on…before she couldn't feel pain, but now it was all so real? Kikyo turned around to see Kagome drawing another arrow from her quiver. Kikyo tried to move but the pain kept her at a standstill. The arrow was quickly released and went straight through her throat. Blood came flowing out and poured onto the grassy surface below her feet. The pain was so horrible, she couldn't take it anymore, and she just wanted to die. She wanted to stop the pain and the torment. Inuyasha and Kagome walked away laughing, leaving her there, on the cold ground, unable to move. Kikyo felt the worst pain in the world and it wouldn't hinder, it just kept coming, getting more intense by each passing second.

'Why? Why would he do this to me?'

_Inuyasha:_

Darkness, in every direction, there was nothing. His head was killing him. Why was this all happening to him? He couldn't remember anything. Then he heard a voice. It was a voice he never wanted to hear again….

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Well my interpretation of hell may be different than yours, but I believe it is eternal damnation, and torture…so that's what it will be in my story. Hope it didn't scare you too much! Review please.


	8. The Pain has Only Begun

This chapter goes out to **_Fallen Rose Petal._** She is the person that inspired me to start writing. She has helped me out a bunch, and I want to thank her. Whoever actually reads my story should really check out her stories too…they are really good, and I love them.

**Chapter Eight**

**The Pain Has Only Begun **

_Last Time With Kagome:_

"No…." She said this in such a whisper that only Shippo could hear it because of his enhanced demon powers. Kagome then collapsed to the ground…

(A/N I accidentally put the above in the last chapter, so I went back and fixed it).

_Now:_

Sango darted over towards Kagome, and was at her side in an instant.

"Kagome what's the matter? What happened? Was it Inuyasha?"

Kagome just lay on the ground sobbing uncontrollably, and didn't answer. Sango bent down to get the paper.

"Well Kagome, it's fine if you don't want to talk, but at least let me see the paper."

Sango had to pry the letter from Kagome's grip, and it nearly ripped it in two. When Sango got it she opened it up.

"I swear Kagome if he hurt you in any sort of way I'm going to kill him!" Sango began to read the note as Shippo jumped up onto her shoulder.

"Sango, Sango what does it say? Is it from Inuyasha? Is he okay? Did he say where he went?"

Miroku's head hurt from all of the questions, so he decided to but in.

"SHIPPO!" Miroku nearly screamed at the poor Kistsune. He felt bad for it so then he tried to explain.

"I'm sorry Shippo. I didn't mean to yell, but just let Sango finish and I'm sure she will tell us everything."

"Okay. Sorry."

Sango had just finished the letter and was now on the ground with Kagome, holding her and crying with her friend.

"This must be bad…" Shippo was very worried now….and so were the rest of them. Neither Kagome nor Sango had ever gotten this upset over something Inuyasha had done.

"Miroku, can you read it to me?"

"Very well, but I'm sure you wont be able to understand most of it though."

"It's okay."

Miroku lead Shippo away from the two weeping women so they wouldn't have to hear anything all over again. Then he began:

"Dear Kagome…"

After he was finished, Shippo leapt into Kagome's arms and hugged her with all the strength he had. "I'm sorry Kagome, I'm so sorry."

Kagome still had no room for words, so she just stood up and walked to the well. As she approached it she heard the whining of Shippo. She really did care about him, but too many thoughts were cluttering her head at the time, and she needed to be alone.

"No mommy please don't leave!" Shippo protested through his tears.

"Just let her go for now Shippo. She needs time to her self."

"But…but.."

"She needs time to herself Shippo, just let her go to her time for a while."

Kagome then leaned over the well, looked back with a desperate attempt to smile, and then plunged into the blue lights.

"NO! YOU DON'T GET IT!!"

"What don't I get Shippo!!"

"We defeated Naraku!! AND used the jewel."

"Your point is…" The monk was now very irritated.

"SHE HAS NO WAY OF GETTING BACK!" Shippo screamed at the top of his lungs.

Sango and Miroku exchanged glances and then responded simultaneously…

"Shit."

_Kagome's Time:_

Kagome was still crying hysterically and couldn't stop her tears from coming out. She ran out of the well house and straight up to her room. She was in such a rush that she hadn't even noticed that she plowed over her little brother, Souta, while dashing up the stairs. She went directly to her room and slammed the door.

Kagome spent the next few days in bed closed off from the outside world. Her depression wasn't only killing her, but it pained her family to have to see Kagome like this. Her mother, or Souta would have to bring her meals and set them on her table by the bed. Kagome never ate any of it, and she would only leave her room for a few moments when she needed to use the bathroom. Kagome didn't tell them anything yet, and she was grateful that they weren't pushing the subject any further.

Finally one morning Souta decided he would try to cheer her up; he'd always be good at that. Right before he was about to go _up_ the stairs, Kagome came _down_ the stairs… She had a smile on her face, but her mom and Souta saw straight through it. Her grandpa on the other hand couldn't notice her emotional struggle if it punched him in the face. He decided to say something; thinking no harm would come of it….he was dead wrong…

"Kagome…." A few seconds passed by; no answer. "Kagome! Answer me when I am talking to you! Haven't you learned to respect your elders?" Her grandfather assumed that Inuyasha broke her heart so he just came right out and said it…_not good…_

"Kagome, I know that this is all Inuyasha's fault, and he hurt you, but you need to let it go! You need to moved on with your life and forget about him. I say to hell with him! Damn half-breed never did anything right!"

Kagome burst into more tears and bolted back to her room; leaving everyone in silence. Souta quickly ran after her, wanting to help her. She had always been there for him, and he wanted to return the favor. Souta knew she and Inuyasha had there arguments, but never anything this serious…he was going to figure out what happened. It was a good thing Souta managed to escape, because only his grandfather was there to feel the wrath of his mom. She exploded…

"WHAT THE IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

"Well listen here I-" he was cut off in the middle of his justification. He had no chance..

"She was finally ready to come back and explain everything to us! She finally got out of her room, and was about to open up, then you had to open your mouth! WHAT were you even thinking?"

"Well you see I-I umm- I was pla-" He was interrupted once again.

"OH NEVERMIND! Just don't bring up anything about Inuyahsa again…. Okay??"

"Yes. I understand…"

With that sudden outburst Ms. Higurashi stormed out of the room leaving on horribly terrified old man cowering in the corner…

_Kagome's Room:_

Kagome was in her room…still weeping after what had happened. She had just started to feel a bit better, but then he had to go and ruin it.

"Sis? Kagome, are okay? I'm sorry gramps said what he did. I know that whatever happened, Inuyasha didn't mean to hurt you. He never tries to hurt you Kagome, and you should know that by now…" Kagome's door unlocked.

"Thanks Souta…"

"Well, well, you haven't lost your voice."

Kagome laughed through her tears, and slowly began to calm down.

"AND a laugh!! Are you serious! It must be the end of the world! Everyone repent, it's the end of the world, save your soul!!"

Souta was running around the room flailing his arms and jumping around. At this point Kagome was on the ground bawling with laughter. Souta always made her fell better; even if he was really annoying at times, he still new how to cheer her up. They both had always been there for each other ever since the death of their father. The only reason they got through the tragedy was because they had each other. They were more like best friends rather than siblings…. weird, but stuff happens. One of the things Kagome loved about him was his happy-go-lucky attitude; he could always make her laugh and smile. After the two calmed down a bit Souta decided to try to get through to her.

"So, what's wrong Kags? What actually happened?"

"…."

"You know you can tell me anything. I wont say a word to anyone."

That was another thing between the two; they could always tell each other anything and know that their secret was safe. Kagome reached in her pocket and took out the folded letter from Inuyasha. She handed it to her brother and then sat on the floor. Souta began to read the letter…. As he got further into it his mood changed from excited, to sad and depressed. His eye's showed sadness, remorse, and hurt. When he finished he slowly looked up with pain on his face. He walked over to his sister and hugged her. He knew she loved Inuyasha and he also knew that Kagome would have an extremely difficult time getting past this, but he planned to do anything to help. As he embraced his sister she just smiled. ' I love you Souta, you've always been here for me…and so has Inuyasha…'

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Well that's chapter eight for you…I didn't like it too much, but I tried. I know it sucked but please still review!


	9. Where am I?

**Chapter Nine**

**Where am I?**

_Last time with Inuyasha:_

Then he heard a voice. It was a voice he never wanted to hear again….

_Now:_

"Why hello Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha heard a cold voice from behind him. He knew who it was. But how? Inuyasha noticed a small light emitting from somewhere to his side. He followed it and when he stepped into the illuminated area he was nearly torn in half by a tentacle…

"N…Naraku!"

"Do you really think you would be able to escape me!" Naraku thought for a moment, 'Wow, what a glorious occasion… I get my revenge on this filthy half-breed. I guess I will need to thank Kikyo for that…'

"Y-you are supposed to be dead!" Inuyasha coughed up some blood. He was now covered head to toe in it.

"That's where you are wrong Half-breed! I will never die, and now you will suffer!"

Naraku punched Inuyasha square across his face and he could hear the bones in his face shattering on impact. Inuyasha was sent soaring across the ground and landed in a bloody heap. Normally this wouldn't have hurt inuyasha because his body is built tougher and less susceptible to attacks. Something was wrong; the punched broke his jaw and nose at the same time. The pain was unbearable. Inuyasha was laying on the ground holding his face when he realized his hair was black…

'BLACK!! What the hell! It isn't the new moon tonight.' Inuyasha was completely perplexed, why had this happen?

"You seem quite surprised filthy human."

"Naraku!! What did you do to me?"

"What seems to be the trouble? You can't defeat me as a mere mortal?"

"Shut up vermin! I'll destroy you!"

With that Inuyasha dove at Naraku preparing to un-sheath Tetsiagua…. ' Shit!'

He didn't have it! Naraku noticed his motion towards his sword and just laughed when he came up empty handed. Inuyasha made a grave mistake, and now he was going to experience the consequences of his rash thinking.

'Shit! I am so dead now!!'

Just before Naraku could finish off Inuyasha a sacred arrow came shooting out of the woods, piercing Naraku straight through his back. He let out a painful scream and then vanished into thin air. Inuyasha was hardly conscious and could not quite make out the form that was now standing before him.

"K-kagome?"

Inuyasha looked at the women and spoke through the pain. His voice was so hoarse and raspy; it even pained him to breath.

"No. a cold but stern voice answered him. "It is I, Inuyasha…"

"Kikyo? What are you doing here?"

"I am sorry, I never should have brought you here…"

"And here is?"

"Hell."

"What!!" Inuyasha screamed, but because of his fractured ribs and damaged lungs it only came out as a soft croak.

"I pulled you down here with me; do you not remember?"

"Uhh, no, obviously not! Why am I here!"

"it was the promise that you had made in order to save Kagome."

'Kagome.' Inuyasha knew that name… 'I wonder how she is doing."

"I am truly sorry Inuyasha. I planned for us to be together, but I didn't know it would cause so much pain… I have my soul back now and I have come to realize my mistakes."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm healing your wounds…"

"No. I don't need your help, I'm fine." Inuyasha jumped up and ran off. He fell over about three times before he was out of Kikyo's sight and each time it took him a bit longer to get up. Before he was just out of range, Kikyo said something…

"I'm sorry Inuyasha. I didn't mean for anything like this to happen." Inuyasha responded with harsh words, knowing that his life was ruined.

"Sorry doesn't cut it Kikyo…I will never be able to forgive you." With that said Inuyasha slowly staggered away into the forest.

Inuyasha walked through the woods until his feet could take him no further. He collapsed to the ground panting and bleeding. Inuyasha gradually rolled himself onto his back and looked up at the sky. He wished his could die; for his life to end not having to go any further. He knew he didn't have any other reason for living… he lost her, so now there was virtually nothing left to live for. Kagome was the only thing in his mind that kept him going. He would have easily given up so many times, but she was always at his side pushing him on and giving him strength. Now that she was gone all he wanted was for death to take him.

Kikyo was walking in a beautiful field of flowers surrounded by trees and all forms of life…' Is this really hell?' She didn't understand one bit, but she knew Naraku was here and that meant trouble. She thought about everything she did wrong, everything that she should have avoided or done differently.

'Why did it have to end like this? Why did this have to happen? Is this truly our fate? Is Inuyasha really supposed to be with me, and I with him…. No. I can never be with him. He shouldn't even be here… I need to find out a way to get him back to Earth…before it may be too late.'

Inuyasha was still laying on the ground in a bloody mess…thoughts were rushing through his mind.

'I don't understand…why am I alive? I am in my human form and I have lost more than enough blood for it to be fatal…'

As Inuyasha lost consciousness he was overcome by darkness and fell into a deep slumber…

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

I am truly sorry for the shortness of this chapter… I will do better next time


	10. A Not So Good Day

**Chapter Ten**

**A not so Good Day**

(A/N: Okay I swear that the title will mean something after a while. I just thought that I would start off on a rather humorous and happy note).

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

It had now been about three weeks since Kagome had come home. It had been three weeks since she last saw Inuyasha. In three weeks Kagome never once left the premises of her room. She didn't go to school, eat, talk, and hardly got any rest. Souta tried time and time again to cheer her up, or to persuade her to remove herself from her temporary confinement. Inside she knew that he was right, so she eventually gave in.

Kagome woke up in the morning with the bright morning sun blazing through her open window. The cool breeze came flowing in and sent chills down her back, which promptly woke her up. She crawled unwillingly out of her bed and ambled into the bathroom to take a shower. She spent so long in the nice warm steam that Souta no longer had enough time to shower…

"Dangit sis! Now I am gonna stink!"

"Oh please… you always stink!"

"Uhhh…. fair enough.."

"It's not like you ever do anything that involves any strenuous labor and excessive sweating… all you ever do is play video games all day."

"HEY! That's not true." Souta thought differently though, 'That is _so_ true…'

Kagome laughed and then walked downstairs after completing her daily morning preparations. She walked into the kitchen and sat on a nearby stool.

"Hi mom."

"Oh. Hello dear. Are you ready to try school today?"

"I'm not too sure, but if it will get Souta of my back then I don't care."

Her mom just chuckled, "Very well honey, just don't get into any trouble."

"Don't worry mom, I'm sure I wont." Little did Kagome know, but this was going to be her worst day of school she had ever experienced…

"Bye! See you after school."

"Bye guys, stay out of trouble, and Souta no more trading your lunch! I make that for you for one reason…TO EAT IT!"

Kagome and Souta got their bikes and started off towards the school.

"Man she always has to ruin everything…"

"Don't worry, life isn't all about food you know.."

"Maybe not for you."

"You're gonna be really fat some day." Kagome giggled and sped up, leaving Souta in her dust. "See, you are already lagging behind! Hurry up fatty!"

"Shut up!!"

Souta locked up his bike at the eastern end of the school building and proceeded inside to his first mod. Kagome kept riding to the other side and she too locked her bike and walked into the school. The school had just been rebuilt and made a lot bigger. Now it consisted of grades six though twelve. The school that Souta went to had a serious fire and the building was rendered useless. Kagome was in her last year and Souta was in the eighth grade, preparing for high school.

As Kagome sauntered through the hall her friends Yuka, Ayumi, and Eri approach her with huge smiles across their faces.

"Oh my God!!"

"It's Kagome!"

"Kagome your back!"

All three girls shouted out at the same time, and even Kagome didn't realize who said what…

"Hi guys. What's up?"

"We should be the ones asking you that missy!" Eri, along with the other two, was very anxious to know what Kagome's pathetic excuse was this time. She had been out for over three weeks! Normally she was just gone or "sick" for about three to five days at a time. Maybe something actually happened this time. Whatever it was the girls knew they would find out soon enough. Kagome could never keep anything from them, personally they didn't know if it was because she was their best friend, or if it was because they were annoying as hell. Those three never shut up… despondently, today was going to be no different; but they actually weren't the main problem…. That was Hojo's roll

_Lunch Time:_

"So, Kagome. What ever happened to that delinquent boyfriend of yours? Is he still cheating on you?" Ayumi finally spoke after the awkward silence from the others.

"He- well you see…." 'Son of a bitch!! Why did she have to bring that up!'

Eri noticed Kagome's sudden alteration in her mood and decided to help out. "So, Would like to go to the movies today?" Kagome was great full that her friend realized her uneasiness, well one of them did anyway, but apparently that wasn't enough.

"Did that filthy two-timer leave you?" Eri and Yuka both could tell that Ayumi wasn't going to let up. Eri mentally smacked her head into a wall, ' How can she be so dense?'

'Well I guess I'm gonna have to make up some explanation at some point… Why not now?'

"Okay fine. I'll tell you, but only if you don't bug me about it anymore…"

"We promise." The three girls chirped up, waiting for Kagome to spill it.

"Yes… he left me…" 'What do I really tell them…they are going to want to know how…' "But it wasn't li-" Kagome was cut off in the middle of her statement by a raging Ayumi….

"That stupid good for nothing bastard! We told you he wasn't right for you! That little prick, I hope he burns in hell!"

At the last few words that came out of Ayumi's mouth Kagome jumped up and shot death glares at the three across from her.

"Don't you EVER say anything like that about him!"

"But Kagome.. he left you for that other girl… he deserves it."

"YOU didn't let me finish." Kagome was now fighting through the tears that began to pour out of her eyes. "He didn't leave me for someone else… he left… because he loved me." The three seriously confused faces told Kagome that she would have to elaborate just a bit more for them to get it.

"Uhh…"

"What?"

"Huh?"

"That doesn't make a bit of sense Kagome!" All three of them said at the same time.

"He-he died… he died protecting me…"

Yuka, Ayami, and Eri just sat there in silence. It was like they had all been knocked unconscious and couldn't event move. Kagome could see the sorrow and guild in their eyes for everything they had said about Inuyasha, but she knew that they had the right to presume something like that, so she wasn't going to hold it against them. Finally Eri choked out a few words,

"We had no idea…"

"Well now that you do know, I would like to be alone for a while…" Kagome's voice was calm again, but so much pain could be heard in her voice. She abruptly got out of her seat and then headed for the double doors leading out of the cafeteria. As Kagome left Yuka noticed Hojo leave his table and begin to follow…

"Umm guys. We got some trouble." Yuka pointed her finger at the boy that walked off after their friend.

"Oh damn! Not a good time Hojo pal… not a good time." Eri sighed after she said that and then she too left the table. Yuka and Ayumi were still sitting at the table…

"Umm guys, are you coming or what?" Eri asked, like it was the most obvious thing in the world that they needed to follow.

"Why?"

"Well DUH we need to stop Hojo before he just hurts Kagome even more… or stop him from being hurt."

"Oh. Right!" The other two popped up and dashed off after Eri who was already halfway across the room.

Kagome was in an empty room crying with her head on the desk and face in her arms. Her shirt was wet from all of the tears. Normally she wouldn't cry, but this was just too much right now. Just when she didn't think the day couldn't get any worse Hojo trotted into the room…

'Shit! Not now….' Kagome was mad, upset, angry, and really didn't want to be messed with at the time.

"Hey Kagome!"

"…"

"Hey. What's up Kagome."

"…"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Hojo, just let me be by myself for a while. I just need some time to think things over." Kagome prayed to any god that may be watching her, that Hojo would just leave her alone… no such luck…

"Think what over?"

'Fuck!! This kid is a dumb ass, why did they want me to date him?'

"Was it because of that stupid_boyfriend_ of yours? Did _he_ do something to hurt you?"

Kagome's last nerve was just about to pop and…

"If he did then I hope he just burns in Hell… worthless punk, no one in the right mind would ever leave someone like y-" Hojo stopped once he saw the steam coming out of Kagome's ears. Her face was red, and he actually thought he saw a few sparks fly out of her eyes…

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"

"I said that he can-"

WHAM!! Kagome had just let loose. He had just crossed the line…by about fifty feet, and now she was going to make him pay. She kneed him in the balls and then gave him an uppercut straight across his jaw. Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka were in the doorway and had just seen the end of the fight. They watched in awe as Hojo dropped like a ton of bricks, slamming into the hard floor headfirst. _Ouch!_ Damn that had to hurt…

"Guess we were a little too late girls…" Eri was still looking at Kagome. Her face was still red and she was pulsating, with veins about to burst out of her skin… the three ever so slowly moved out of Kagome's way as she walked over top of Hojo and out the door. She _literally_ walked _on_ him, causing him to grunt out in pain as her shoe wedged itself into him abdomen. Kagome noticed the horrified looks on her friend's faces…

"What? The son of a bitch had it coming."

"…" The three looked at each other as if to say ' don't ever fuck with Kagome!'

"Let me see it again!"

"Okay, okay fine. Here just take it!" Yuka handed Souta her phone as he stared in awe at the screen…

School was now over and everyone was walking home after their exceptionally _long_ day. Kagome and Souta were walking their bikes so the other three wouldn't have to run in order to catch up. Yuka had just caught the action in at the end of the fight where Kagome kicked Hojo's ass. Souta was both amazed and impressed that his sister dealt out such an ass woopin'. She was his hero… well she always had been, but definitely now more than ever. His _own_ sister had just beat the shit out of the most popular guy in school…

Everyone walked into the shrine and then proceeded into Kagome's house. They all went straight into the living room where they all collapsed from the long day. Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka all plopped down onto the couch, Souta just fell face first into the big lazy boy, and Kagome just let herself fall back into a big beanbag that was on the floor. Wow that was a crazy ass day. Kagome's mom walked down the stairs and giggle when she noticed the gang sprawled out across the house.

"Hello children. Had a long day?"

"You have no idea.…" literally every one of them answered at the same time.

Ms. Higurashi just quirked and eyebrow as if to say 'explain please…'

"So how was you day anyway?"

"It was FREAKING AWESOME!" Souta's sudden burst of energy went away and he fell back down into the chair.

"Most horrible day of my life!" Kagome still had her eyes closed and spoke through her gritted teeth.

"Umm. Do you want to tell me what happened?" Ms. Higurashi asked.

"No."

"Kagome got into a fight!!" Souta was too excited to keep his mouth shut.

"WHAT!" Kagome's mother dropped her bags with a thud and dashed over to her daughter. "What happened?"

"Uhg. I don't want to talk about it…"

"Just see for yourself mom, Yuka got it on her phone. Go on, show her Yuka."

"Well okay…"

Yuka flipped out her phone and everyone, but Kagome, huddled around in a circled with all of their attention focused on the tiny device.

Wham!

"Oh my… well… cough, cough that's quite a number you did on him Kagome…" Her mom just stood there, completely perplexed at what she just saw. Even though Kagome started (and finished) the fight she was not mad. She understood completely, but just wished her daughter could have controlled her actions a little more…maturely. Kagome got up and then pulled herself up the stairs to her room, where she then planted herself on her bed and instantly fell into a deep sleep.

"So… is Hojo okay?" Ms. Higurashi was very worried that he had gotten seriously injured… she didn't want a lawsuit on her hands.

"Uhh, well rumors are spreading…" Eri exclaimed.

"Well…"

"They say that Hojo busted his left testicle and broke his jaw…" Ayumi couldn't help but laugh at the first part she said. Souta had fallen on the floor and was rolling around holding his stomach, laughing hysterically.

"Souta dear, that's not funny… it is a very serous matter and could require surgery."

Souta calmed down a bit and sat back up in his chair.

"Well I'm going to go make dinner. You three are welcome to stay if you like."

Ms. Higurashi turned around and couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, 'She busted his balls…'

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Well there you have it!!! I really liked this chapter… I hope you did as well. Longer eh? I worked very hard on it, so I would enjoy a few reviews.

OKAY so I am in a bit of a bind here…. I have chapter twelve written, but don't even have ideas for chapter eleven, (is that a problem??). Yeah. I thought so too. So if you have any ideas please tell me! The setting is back in the feudal era with Miroku, Sango, and Shippo….


	11. Authors Note

Muwahahaha I scared you with the whole "author's note" thing, didn't I? Lol. Don't worry I will try to never do that. That is one of the things I hate; you get all happy when you look at your email and see a new chapter, but then when you open it, the title is authors note. Then you're like "SON OF A BITCH!!" Lmao…on with the story.

This is a short chapter, but lets just see what you think anyway…

**Chapter Eleven**

**Where There's a Will, There's a Way**

_Last time in feudal era:_

"SHE HAS NO WAY OF GETTING BACK!" Shippo screamed at the top of his lungs.

_Sango and Miroku exchanged glances and then responded simultaneously…_

"Shit."

Now:

It was getting rather dark outside so Miroku decided that they should get a good night's sleep and then talk about everything in the morning. The gang, which was now down to three, walked back to Kaede's hut with dull mournful expressions on their faces. Kaede, of course, noticed this right away, and new something was wrong. She let Sango and Shippo into the hut, but then stopped Miroku at the doorway. He knew that he had a lot to tell so he decided to just get it over with now. He motioned her out of the hut so they would not disturb the other two who were trying to get some rest. The two strolled over to a large stump, sat down and then finally spoke.

"Will ye care to explain why there are but three of you and not five?"

Miroku cleared his throat, knowing that this might be difficult.

"Kagome went back to her own time… and she may be there forever, because-"

"Because ye have defeated Naraku and the Jewel is no more?" Kaede always seemed to already know everything… so why is he even explaining?

"Yes."

"So ye no longer know if Kagome can travel through the well anymore."

"That is correct."

"I am certain we will be able to find out something."

"Yes. I know we will… but as for-" He was cut off again,

"Inuyasha?"

"Yes. Well you see… umm, he is no longer with us."

"Dead?"

"Not necessarily…"

"Aye. I see. So it is true then. My sister took him down to hell with her…"

"Yes she did." 'God damn this lady don't miss a beat!'

"I just don't understand why it had to end like this."

"End? Why do ye think this is the end? Do ye and Sango not have many years to come; to live together and be happy?"

"Well, yes, but still… I thought that once Naraku was defeated then all would go back to normal and we could all live peaceful fulfilling lives."

"Well if what ye say is true, and Kikyo truly did take Inuyasha to hell then he is not really dead. Correct?"

"So what you are saying is that…"

"Inuyasha's spirit still lingers here on Earth, and he still may be able to come back to us."

'Jesus! Why wont this lady let me finish a damn sentence!' Miroku was both amazed and frustrated at everything Kaede always seemed to know.

"So if we were to perform a spiritual summoning ritual then we may be able to-"

"Bring Inuyasha back. Yes we will, but time is not on our side, so ye need to find how to get to Kagome soon."

'Okay, she really needs to stop fucking doing this!'

"Why do I need to find Kagome?" 'Shit… now I'm gonna get one long ass confusing answer.'

"The ritual will take a lot of spiritual power that neither you nor I possess. So, therefore; we need to get Kagome back here to help us. We also need to hurry because if we don't act fast then-"

"Inuyasha's spirit will fade away and be lost forever." 'Ha-ha bitch! My turn to end your sentence. Yeah!! What! How do you like it!'

"Ye will begin in the morning. I shall take Shippo and gather ingredients for the spell, while ye and Sango try to get Kagome back."

"Agreed."

Kaede and Miroku returned to the hut and found Sango and Shippo sound asleep. Miroku knelt down next to Sango and gently brushed her bangs way from her face. He watched her chest slowly rise and fall with each small breath she took. He then kissed her on the top of her head and said,

"Oh Sango, I love you so much. I'm sorry that I don't always show my feeling to you , but always know that you will always be the only one for me…"

"Aye, we all already know this Miroku."

"…" 'Damn, no one was supposed hear me. Wait… why does it matter…'

Lost in his thoughts Miroku just barely heard Kaede's next words, but he was so stunned that he actually fainted…

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

It is very short, after all length doesn't matter (to me anyway). I hoped you guys liked it nonetheless. It was pretty much just telling you guys what was going to happen in the next few chapters.


	12. Two Dreams one Reality

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot of this story! (I forgot about this whole disclaimer junk…)

**Important notice at the bottom. Read it when you are done!!!**

**Chapter Twelve**

**Two Dreams, one Reality**

_Last Time With Inuyasha:_

As Inuyasha lost consciousness he was overcome by darkness and fell into a deep slumber…

_Now:_

Inuyasha opened his eyes; at fist his vision was blurry but then life came into focus and he noticed the lucid blue sky above his head. The ground beneath him felt unusually comfortable, and quite soft. All forms of wildlife were around him and the birds were humming away fluttering just above his head. Everything was just so peaceful. The gentle breezed brushed across his face, and as he closed his eyes he felt a warm soothing sensation that put his mind at ease. As he sat up Inuyasha began to take in the beautiful surrounding that lay before him. There was a small hot sprign with a miniature waterfall flowing through over the middle, making soft trickling noises with each passing second. The area was encircled with blooming flowers and trees. Although the scenery was amazing, and oh so captivating, Inuyasha couldn't help but still feel so alone and helpless. Why was he even here, and how did he get here in the first place? He turned to leave but then he heard a small rustling of the bushes and hid behind a large tree. He planned on finding out who his 'visitor' was. A girl walked into the clearing with her head down and her hair covering her face. She looked way too familiar…

'Kagome? Is that really you?'

The girl lifted her head and brushed back her bangs to show her face…

'KAGOME it really is you!' Inuyasha was overwhelmed with a sudden burst of energy and liveliness.

'It is her… but how is this even possible?'

Did it even matter? Hell no! As long as she was here with him nothing else mattered. He just then burst into the area and ran straight for Kagome. _His_ Kagome.

"Kagome i- is it really you?"

Inuyasha looked down into the beautiful russet eyes that were gazing straight back into his. The two just stood still for a few moments taking in each other's presence. Then Inuyasha pulled Kagome into his arms and held her in a warm embrace. He held her close, never wanting to let go. Time itself seemed to have stopped and all the sounds of the wildlife vanished, leaving just the two of them on earth, with each other.

"Inuyasha how is th-"

Kagome never finished her sentence because Inuyasha suddenly crashed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss. He whispered into her ear,

"Does it really matter? As long as we're together nothing else matters to me."

Inuyasha slowly lay Kagome down in the soft grass and then straddled her while pinning her arms above her head. He began to give her small kissing down her neckline. Kagome moaned with pleasure from the Hanyou's touch.

"Are you sure you are ready for this Kagome?"

"Yes Inuyasha. I want to be with you forever. I've never been more sure about anything else in my life."

Inuyasha dove down again, but this time a little further down her abdomen. He caught her skirt on the tip of his fang and then tore it off, throwing carelessly over his head. Next he took hold of her panties and ripped those off as well. He slid his tong into her, savoring her taste. He slowly moved it back and forth causing her to scream with ecstasy. Kagome untied his pants in one swift motion and took his unit into her small hand. She guided him in and thrust herself upward making him growl, and wanting more.

After the two had finished their business they walked into the hot spring to relax their muscles. Inuyasha guided Kagome over to the waterfall and they both stood directly under it, letting the steaming water rush over their heads. The warm mist caressed their skin giving soothing sensations, which eventually put them both to sleep.

Inuyasha opened his eyes and reached over to find his love…nothing. His eyes shot open to survey his surroundings… no waterfall, no small hot spring, no birds or small creatures scurrying about…but most of all… no Kagome. It was just a dream…but to him, after he woke up, he realized it was a nightmare. It was torture to him, making him suffer; the reality was that he would never see _his_ Kagome ever again. As a few tears slowly made their way down his face, he lay back down onto the ground hoping the pain would go away…

Last Time with Kagome:

Kagome got up and then pulled herself up the stairs to her room, where she then planted herself on her bed and instantly fell into a deep sleep.

Now:

Kagome opened her eyes and looked out her window to catch a glimpse of the rising sun over the horizon. She leaned up on her elbows and let her eyes wander her room. The light was shining through her half open window, emitting the most beautiful glistening rays across the floor. Beyond the light Kagome noticed a photograph of her and Inuyasha. It was one of the times he had come back to her time, and of course got himself into trouble. She found him crawling down the street sniffing around, with everyone looking at him. She dragged him into a small photo hut to pry the curious eyes away from him. Its not everyday that one would see some kid in the middle of the steel on all fours sniffing the ground… Kagome laughed at the memory. When they were in the booth Souta had put in some coins and the machine began to take a series of pictures. The only one that looked remotely acceptable had Inuyasha swiping at the camera lens. Her eyes then floated over to the sword that lay propped up against her desk. Tetsuaiga… it was his most prized possession.

'It saved my life so many times. He even was willing to give it up for me… that one time he told Sesshomaru that he could have the Tetsuaiga as long as he revived me… How could I ever be so naive and not realize his true feelings for me? I was foolish and now it's too late.'

A few more tears slid down Kagome's cheek. Then she glanced down at her body and saw what she was wearing… the robes of the fire rat. Inuyasha's Hyori; she wad been wearing it to bed every night since she got it. So warm and comfortable, soothing and soft. It was almost as if when she was wearing it that she could sense his presence around her; always watching over her and protecting her. It always gave her a tender feeling inside, and helped her cope with the pain. It had eased her shattered heart… Kagome took one last gaze over to the picture on her shelf, and then drifted off…

Tap tap… tap tap tap… 

Kagome's eyes opened as she heard the soft clatter at her window. She lazily rolled out of her bead to go see what was wrong. As she unlocked her window her eyes focused on another set of eyes that were looking directly back at her… the eyes were a soft amber color, but held more emotion than she could ever comprehend. His gaze fell over her and she was paralyzed.

Inuyasha smirked, "Can I come in?"

"…"

"I'll take that as a yes…"

Inuyasha hopped down from the ledge into Kagome's room and stood before her. He walked up to her until there bodies were so close that they could feel one another's breath against their own bodies. Her looked down onto her small form and searched her eyes. Kagome had no room for any words that could possibly express her feelings at the time…

"Are you not happy to see me?"

Kagome's answer was a warm embrace as she melted into his arms. She lay hear head on his shoulder and cried. Kagome couldn't believe that this was happening… how could it? He wasn't supposed to be alive… but no matter, there was no reason for any questions, so she just held onto him for dear life. She never wanted to let go.

Inuyasha picked her up bridal style and then brought her over to her bed. He gently placed her back under the covers and then crawled in next to her. They lay there for a while just enjoying each other's presence. Kagome had so many thoughts and emotions flying through her mind. She was so confused, but for some reason she just didn't care. As long as they were together that was all that mattered. The only fear that Kagome had left floating through her mind, was that fact that his might not be real… it could all be a dream. But how could it? It was all so real… Kagome moved her body even closer to Inuyasha's and took in the warmth that his body was producing. He wrapped his arm around her, and then she laid her head in the crook of his neck. Inuyasha rolled over so he was now on top of Kagome…

"You know I love you…"

"Of course I do Inuyasha. And you know I love you too."

Inuyasha leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, giving her a deep passionate kiss, showing all of his love for her. She could feel his emotions flowing through her… It was at that point that she knew she wouldn't be able to live with out him. The couple lay back down and huddled together under the covers. Then they both fell asleep in each other's arms…

Kagome opened hers eyes as the bright morning sun beamed across her face. She reached over to see if Inuyasha was still in the bed. He wasn't there… Maybe he just went downstairs or something? No. The window was closed and locked…from the inside, which meant he never came to her the other night… It was reality; she was never going to see him again. More tears flowed out of her eyes and she cried herself back to sleep… never wanting to wake up ever again.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

So…sad… well that's chapter twelve for ya. I hoped you liked it!! I know I did! Kind of disappointing that none of it was real. But it just gave you a better idea of their love for one another. **IMPORTANT:** I just want to say that I am sincerely sorry for the long wait. I was going to have a friend write a portion of this chapter, and then when she did I decided to use it later on instead of now… hope you guys understand.


	13. Preparations

DISCLAIMER: I might as well put these in here every other chapter or so… I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA OR ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN THIS STIRY'S PLOT.

**Please read the bottom when you are done.**

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Preparations**

_Last time:_

_Lost in his thoughts Miroku just barely heard Kaede's next words, but he was so stunned that he actually fainted…_

_Now:_

Miroku and Shippo both woke to the delicious smell of cooking ramen. Kagome wasn't really sure herself if she would ever be able to get back, so she left her supplies for the rest of the group. She left her first aid kit, ramen, matches and a few other useful items. The aroma of the chicken flavored broth floated through the air making Shippo's mouth water. The young kitsune joyfully hopped up and perched himself on Sango's shoulder.

"Is it almost ready?"

"Yes Shippo, it will be done in a few more minutes."

"Good. I'm so hungry."

"We all are Shippo, we all are."

"Smell delicious my dear Sango." Miroku just rose from his slumber and walked over behind Sango. He then cracked his back and stretched out his arms.

"God Miroku, do you have to do that? It must really hurt…"

"Not at all." Miroku just began to crack each of his knuckles

Snap, crack, snap…

"Ugh. I can't stand that sound! It hurts me when you do it." Sango took her boomerang and pounded the monk over the head with it.

"Ouch… why do you hurt me so?"

"Because you ask for it."

"Well anyway we need to get going as soon as we finish our food."

Everyone began to shove the noodles into their mouths, savoring the taste of the futuristic food. Shippo turned to the side and growled…

"Shippo what was that about?"

"Well Inu-"

"…"

"It's okay Shippo. We will get him back." Sango patted him on the back trying to calm him down. She knew this had to be hard on him. He pretty much just lost his parents…again.

Shippo's eyes began to water as he thought of all the times Inuyasha would steal some of his ramen. All those times Shippo had to fight him off and protect his food. He was just so used to it, everyday he would do the same thing. Shippo would be eating and once Inuyasha inhaled his own, he would then take Shippo's… although a "sit" would always follow; the poor hanyou never did learn his lesson. Shippo was sad… not that he got to eat all of his food, but that he would no longer have to fight for it. He actually enjoyed it. Although he hated it when Inuyasha bossed him around it just made him think of Inuyasha as an older brother, or father…

"Ok, we really should get going now. We can't waste any time." Miroku stood up and walked over to put his bowl with the other dirty dishes.

"Shouldn't we give Kagome a little more time on her own. I'm sure she is still devastated, so why would she even want to come back? It would only bring back more memories."

"I understand that Sango, but if we don't hurry then it will be too late. The summoning takes quite a long time, and we need Kagome's strong spiritual energy in order to perform it."

"Oh. I see."

"So if we don't act fast, then Inuyasha's spirit will be lost forever."

"Lets get going then! But what am I supposed to do Miroku?"

"Shippo, you need to help Lady Kaede gather some of the ingredients that are needed for the spell. A few are located in dangerous areas and you are must younger and faster than Lady Kaede is."

"Are ye calling me old?"

cough, cough "Why no. Not at all…"

"It is time child, we must get going."

"Yes Kaede."

"Kaede! Here take Kirara with you. She will help you move faster, and she can also protect you." Sango then turned to her feline friend as she transformed. "And Kirara I want you to listen to Kaede, Ok?"

"Mew"

"Ok Miroku lets get the show on the road."

The monk and the demon slayer went to go check out the well, while the other two hopped on the demon cat and flew off into the distance.

_Miroku and Sango:_

Miroku and Sango we walking along the dirt path that would lead them to the bone-eaters well. They were quite a good distance so it would take them a little while. The only thing on Miroku's mind was what Kaede had said to him the past night. Those few words shot through his mind like a cannon… how did she even know? He knew that he hadn't told anyone, and he was sure Sango didn't either. Sango was ahead of him, but then she slowed down and put Miroku's arm around her shoulder, so they were walking side by side.

"Watching thinking about?"

Miroku closed his eyes and smiled. "That I am going to be a father…"

_With Kaede and Shippo:_

They had most of the ingredients already; all that was left was the dragon skin, the snake venom, the yellow dart fungus, and also some wolf bones. The last three should be no problem… but the dragon skin just might be "not so easy" to obtain. To get it that would mean finding a dead dragon… and it's not like you see those lying around on the side of the road. This left only one other alternative… they would some how have to kill one.

"So what's next Kaede?"

"We should stop by the nearest village and find some snake venom. Since it is often used in potions then I am certain that any village would carry it."

"Sounds good to me… what else is there? Maybe I could go find that while you get the venom."

"If that is what ye want then it would be helpful if ye went into the forest to gather the fungi."

"Will do!"

Shippo hopped off of Kirara and ran off into the forest that was a short distance to the west. He was scurrying along the forest floor with hid eyes shooting back and forth, scouring the woods depths for any sign of the fungus. He finally came upon a tree and when he looked up its enormous trunk he could see the yellow clumps at the top… great, at the top… Shippo swallowed hard and then began to climb. After a few minutes he was about halfway up, and then he looked down… not a good idea. He yelped at the sight below him. A few wolves had been following him and were now at the base of the tree, just sitting patiently, waiting for there dinner to come back down.

'Oh crap… there's no where else to go…'

Shippo looked around him; no other trees were close enough for him to jump too, and there was no other way down the tree either. He reached the fungi and picked some.

'Oh God this better be worth it!' Shippo then ran s fast as he could down the base of the tree, and once he was about eight feet from the ground he jumped over the wolves.

'Well…that's a start, but now I need to loose them.'

Shippo dashed through the small bushes and trees, try to get out into the open where he could possibly seek some help. He was way too small to take on two full-grown wolves. Demon or not, they were just too big for him to handle. They were catching up to him so in a desperate attempt he jumped into the air turned around and then shot some of his foxfire at the approaching canines. They were stunned just long enough for Shippo to gain a little more breathing room. Just when he though he lost them, they had him cornered against the side of a cliff…

'I guess I only have the choice to fight them…'

Shippo cracked hi knuckles, he knew this was way too much for him but just maybe if he held off long enough someone would come to his rescue. One of the wolves lunged at Shippo with his fangs gleaming in the sunlight, ready to devour his well-earned meal. Shippo dogged it at the last second and blew some of his fire magic onto the wolf's back. It yelped in pain as the fire scorched its skin. The other then ran at the small Kitsune thinking he would catch him off guard. No, Shippo was ready. Inuyasha had always taught him to never take your eyes off another enemy. While you are fighting one, you need to be alert ant watch out for when the other might step in. Shippo turned around and threw his giant top at his foe. The wolf's eyes widened when it saw the top grow to unreasonable proportions. It slammed straight into its face and threw the wolf into a tree, breaking a few of it ribs. Shippo tried to doge the next attack but the wolf hit him in the side, sending the fox demon flying into the side of the wall. Shippo fell to the ground with a thud and lay unconscious. The wolf slowly approached his supper and licked its fangs…

_With Kaede:_

It had been well over an hour and Shippo still hadn't returned from gathering the fungus. Kaede sent Kirara into the forest to make sure he was ok. She had gotten the snake venom and was now asking around if anyone was selling any dragon hide. It was very expensive, but she hoped that she would be able to bargain for it. No such luck. She left the village to go find her two companions. As she was walking along the path she heard a man scream. She hurried over to the edge of a very steep cliff that veered off the path around a corner. She came across a few large bags and a horse. The man's voice came from over the edge of the cliff.

"Please! Someone help me!"

Kaede wandered over to the edge and saw a young man clinging onto a rock for his life. She didn't have enough strength to help him up, but she had a plan. Kaede ran back to the horse and took out a rope. She then attached it to the horse and let the other end dangle off the overhang.

"Ye must take hold of the rope. I will have the horse pull you up!"

The man made a desperate attempt to grab the rope and he slipped a little further down.

"Ye must trust me! Ye need to let go of the cliff and use both hands to grab the rope!" After a slight hesitation the man grabbed onto his lifeline and wrapped his arms around it to get a better grip. Kaede ran back to the horse and motioned it to walk forwards. As the horse proceeded the man slowly rose up the side of the abyss. The rope was scrapping against a sharp edge of a rock and began to wear away. The rope was getting thinner and thinner as the horse pulled…

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

OMG I am so damn evil!! What was that? I left you guys with like three cliffhangers in one chapter! Damn I'm one malicious human being… So how did all of you like the chapter? I am going to try to make my chapters longer now, so I hope that you all are happy. Oh, one other thing. If you guys could do me a favor and check out my friend's story. I would appreciate it. I think it is really good, but the problem is… no one is reading it!! It's called "The Balance," and it is by _Empress of The Light_. It is a very good and descriptive story with a great plot as well. You can find it under my favorites and you can also find her under my favorite authors list too. Don't forget to review!


	14. The Journey in Hell Continues

Disclaimer: I own this story's plot and nothing else (I do not own Inuyasha, or any of the characters). So anyway I got a few new ideas to add to my plot… I hope it is still okay.

**Chapter Fourteen**

**The Journey in Hell Continues**

_Last time with Inuyasha:_

It was torture to him, making him suffer; the reality was that he would never see his Kagome ever again. As a few tears slowly made their way down his face, he lay back down onto the ground hoping the pain would go away…

Now:

Inuyasha opened his eyes and realized that he was no longer in the clearing where he'd fallen asleep. He was now in a small village and he was… in jail? He took another glance at his surroundings; sure enough… he was in prison. The only question was, why? He didn't do anything wrong… did he? He couldn't help but notice the chains that were around his ankles and arms, pinning him to the wall of his cell. He was now back in his half-demon form, but still wasn't strong enough to break the iron shackles that weighed him down. A tall man walked through the doors and then came up to the small barred off window of Inuyasha's cell door. It was a small view, about a foot all around, so the only thing Inuyasha could make out was the man's face. He had dark skin and his eyes looked to be blue. The man had long hair that was braided in a ponytail that he let out the back. The cell was dark so no other detail could be given about this mysterious man.

"So, your awake, are you?"

"What the hell do you want with me!?" 'What did I do to deserve this… oh right, never mind… I'm in hell… fuck.' Inuyasha realized that there was probably nothing he could do but take whatever was thrown at him.

"We are going to kill you… or just beat you until we get bored."

"All part of being in hell I suppose." Inuyasha muttered under his breath.

"What was that half-breed!"

"I didn't say anything of your concern stupid human!" 'Shit… probably should have kept my mouth shut.'

"Well, well, we got a smart mouth, eh? Lets just see what you have to say when you get outside. There are plenty of villagers who want to, meet, you."

Inuyasha didn't particularly like the way the man said the word "meet," but he figured he would find out soon enough. He looked up as the man came into his cell. Just before Inuyasha could make any movement he was knocked unconscious. What ever was about to happen was evidently not going to go too well for him.

Last time with Kikyo:

_'Why did it have to end like this? Why did this have to happen? Is this truly our fate? Is Inuyasha really supposed to be with me, and I with him…. No. I can never be with him. He shouldn't even be here… I need to find out a way to get him back to Earth…before it may be too late.'_

Now:

Kikyo walked through the field thinking of different ways to try to win back Inuyasha's trust… who was she kidding, that wouldn't happen. But just maybe she could help him nonetheless. She hoped that he would only understand that she truly did want to help him.

The priestess ventured no until she approached a small village, no bigger than Kaede's from the looks. She noticed that there was no one around… literally no one! She checked a few of the huts and shops. But there but everyone seemed to have vanished. As she continued to the center of town she finally saw what looked to be everyone in the town… in one place… but why? Curiosity got the best of her, and she walked over to check it out. What she saw absolutely horrified her. It was am unbearable sight and she had to put an end to it… she notched an arrow aiming at her target…

Back to Inuyasha:

When Inuyasha opened his eyes once again he was in yet another location… this was happening way too often. He looked around him and saw that he was surrounded by a crowed of people. He was chained up to a giant wooden cart that was slowly moving him around in a circle. He saw what looked to be an entire village of people. There were women, children, men, and a few guards and warriors. He heard a man start to speak… he recognized his voice, the one from the cell.

"Step right up folks, we halve captured the half-demon that has been reeking havoc to all of our neighboring villages! He is here in the flesh and captured for your entertainment."

Inuyasha couldn't help but hear some of the things the people were saying about him.

"So... that's it? He's the low-life half-demon that been going around killing people?"

"Yes. From what I hear, anyway."

"What filth! I can't believe anyone would let something like that live."

The words struck at his heart, and hurt like nothing else. He knew none of it was true, but the fact that it was happening, and he was witnessing it, which made it all too real. He did however hear a few comments that gave him a little bit of hope.

"I don't think that him. He seems so innocent. I heard that it was a full demon anyway."

"I heard that it was a bear demon… not a half-demon or a dog demon for that matter."

One women's voice stood out however. "He can't be the one, I was in the last village that was under attack. It was not he who did it. Someone needs to help him!"

He felt grateful that there were actually some people that cared about what happened to him, but he also knew that they couldn't do anything about it anyway. He hung his head low in defeat. When he looked back up he saw a few of the kids pick up some rocks and they began to throw them at him. He couldn't move out of the way, so each stone that was thrown struck him. The kids didn't have enough strength to do anything, so those didn't really hurt, but then the parents began to join in too. The people were screaming and throwing rocks at the poor hanyou that was tied up in the middle of the village.

Inuyasha got hit in the head with one of them and his head began to bleed. His blood began to flow out of his cuts and down across his face. Of course that wasn't the only problem he had to worry about. A few moments later a couple of kids came up to him with spears and began hitting him in the ribs with the blunt end. They also spit on him and called him spiteful names. He cried out in pain as a few of his bones snapped. After one more hit, some blood began to trickle out of his mouth. Right before he was about to take another blow a small girl ran up in front of him, blocking the other children. Inuyasha strained himself as he looked up with one eye open. He watched as the girl stood there, trying to protect him with her small body. A few of the other kids began throwing stones at her too, calling her a traitor. Saying she was disgraceful and no better than the stupid half-breed.

Inuyasha managed to get one of his arms free from the metal bindings. He looked back at the girl and realized that she was crying. She had been hit by a few stones and was bleeding a little bit from her arm.

"Why would you do that? I don't understand," Inuyasha managed to say while coughing up some more blood.

"You don't deserve any of this… this is horrible; the way they treat you."

The girl looked up into the hanyou's eyes as she began to sob some more. Inuyasha looked down at her and smiled as he reached out his arm to move her behind him; shielding her from the rampaging crowd. He coughed up some more blood as he told her to go somewhere safe. He said that no matter what happened they would always think this way about his kind, and nothing could be done about it. The girl sadly ran off and was welcomed by her mothers open arms. It reminded Inuyasha of how he would always run into his mothers arms, wanting the love and care that only she possessed.

His gaze caught that of another as the man approached Inuyasha with a wooden board in his hands. Inuyasha just sighed in pain as he awaited more punishment. Just before he was about to be acquainted with the board he heard a woman's voice shout out from the crowd. He recognized her… was it?

With Kikyo:

Kikyo raised her bow and aimed at the man that stood before Inuyasha.

"If you lay one more finger on him you will die!"

"And who the hell do you think you are bitch!" The man turned around to see a woman pointing her bow at him. "You don't have the guts to stop me, stupid wench."

Kikyo released her hold on the arrow as it soared straight to her victim. The arrow pierced him in his arm and he fell to the ground in pain. Before one of the other men could help him, Kikyo had already notched another arrow and was pointing it at him as well.

"I suggest that you all leave right now… unless you want to die."

The crowd began to disperse leaving only Kikyo, Inuyasha, the girl, and her mother. Kikyo and the girls mother quickly went to Inuyasha and unlocked the shackles that bound him. He fell straight down to the ground; the two women caught him in their arms.

"We need to get him medical care right away! We can take him to my hut. It is just outside of the town, so it should be safe."

"Yes, thank you," Kikyo was happy that she had this woman's help… Inuyasha probably would want her help anyway.

Kikyo and the young girls mother carried the bloodied body away and to the hut that resided out side of the village. When they got there the two lay Inuyasha on the cot that was in the back room. The girl ran outside to fetch some warm water from a nearby spring, and Yuuki (the mother), fixed a meal for them. Kikyo asked what had happened and Yuuki told her that the guards had found Inuyasha out side of the city gates unconscious. She said that the people took him and blamed him for the misfortune that has been sweeping over the area.

"It's horrible how people need to put the blame on someone. I don't understand how they could get any satisfaction out of hurting and innocent person."

"Yes. People do many things that are beyond our comprehension. So why did your daughter help him?"

"Aiko has always been set apart from everyone else. The kids would make fun of her because she didn't have a father…" Yuuki began to shed a few tears as she spoke.

"It's horrible what people do these days," Kikyo walked over to her and gave her a comforting hug.

"She understands what it is like to be different, and what it is like to not be accepted. I'm sure Inuyasha has had to deal with that his whole life."

Yuuki looked down at the floor when she it as if she felt ashamed and somewhat responsible for what happened. A few minutes later Aiko came running back into the hut with a pale of warm water in her arms. She walked over to the cupboard and opened it to take out a small cloth. She dunked it in the water and then went into the back room.

She found Inuyasha still passed out on the bed, and she began to attend his wounds. The two women just stood at the doorway not making a sound, watching the little girl help her new friend. Yuuki told Kikyo that her daughter had learned almost everything she knows on her own, because she was never really around to care for her. The two just smiled as they watched.

After about ten minutes Inuyasha squirmed and opened his eyes. The bright sun that shown through the window made him close them instantly. Aiko rushed over and closed the curtains to shield his eyes. Inuyasha coughed a little bit and groaned in pain. Aiko hurriedly scampered back over to the side of the bed to help him sit up.

"You need to stay still and rest."

"I thank you for all of your help but the longer I stay the more danger I am putting you in." Inuyasha realized that this was hell after all, so none of it was even real; but it definitely felt real, so he felt as though he shouldn't hinder them with his presence.

Kikyo spoke from the doorway as she walked over and sat down next to the wounded hanyou,

"It's okay Inuyasha, I will keep everyone safe."

"K-Kikyo… why are you helping me? I don't understand."

"Because Inuyasha… I am different now, and I realize what I now need to do. That is to help you get out of here and back to were you belong."

Kikyo didn't mention the word hell or anything about why they were here. She thought that if she did than Aiko, and Yuuki might think something of the whole situation. They wouldn't be able to understand the fact that they were in hell and none of this was real. I mean, Kikyo and Inuyasha weren't sure what to think anymore. The only thing they could do is act on the present, and what was happening now.

Inuyasha ate some food and talked to Aiko well into the night. The small girl had become attached to him, and he established a connection to her as well. Inuyasha was about to go to sleep but then he heard Aiko get up. He decided not to move and wait to see what she was going to do. To his surprised she got into the bed with him and snuggled in and then fell asleep. He just smiled and soon sleep overcame him too.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Thank you all for waiting patiently. Please review!! The names in this chapter are real, but they are not taken from a show or something.

Yuuki generally means: (yuu) "gentleness, superiority" or 悠 (yuu) "distant, leisurely" combined with 希 (ki) "hope", 輝 (ki) "radiance" or 生 (ki) "life".

Aiko means: (ai) "love, affection" and 子 (ko) "child".


	15. A New Adventure Begins

Disclaimer: I own this story plot, that's all! I do not own Inuyasha.

Chapter Fifteen A New Adventure Begins 

_Last time with Shippo:_

_Shippo fell to the ground with a thud and lay unconscious. The wolf slowly approached his supper and licked its fangs…_

_Now:_

Just as the wolf got within a few yards of his prey a small orange kitten hopped out in front of Shippo. Kirara growled at the wolf bearing her little teeth. If it was possible the wolf actually laughed at the small feline that was trying to protect the fox. The other wolf got up and the two began to close in. Just before the attack Kirara transformed into her giant demon form. The wolves coward in fear as they saw the cat engulfed in flames and then grow into an enormous saber-tooth with huge fangs. Kirara roared and clawed at one of the wolves hitting it in the jaw and killing it instantly. The other one ran away with its tail between its legs, whimpering. Kirara gently picked up Shippo in her mouth and began to follow Kaede's scent.

_Last time with Kaede:_

The rope was getting thinner and thinner as the horse pulled… 

_Now:_

The rope snapped. Kaede watched in horror as the line whipped back down into the deep valley. She was about to go investigate but then she saw a hand reach up from below.

The man used all of his strength to lift him over the edge, and when he finally made it he collapsed from exhaustion. Kaede took him and placed him on top of his steed, and then proceeded toward the village.

Back at the hut Kaede attending the man's wounds and bandaged him up. When he woke he looked around the room and saw an old lady stirring some stew.

"Are you the lady that saved me?"

"Yes I am. And who are ye?"

"My name is Ryuu."

"Ryuu? That is a fine name. What brings ye around to these parts? I sense that you are not from around here."

"That I am not. I am a traveling merchant. I just simply wander around aimlessly hoping to find people to buy my goods."

"You wouldn't happen to sell any dragon hide, do you?"

"Yes as a matter of fact I do! That is my main item of trade. I often male most of my money selling my hide to rich folk, or knights that like to use it for armor."

"How exactly do you obtain this hide? It isn't so easy to slay a dragon… especially on your own."

"Well it is a very complicated process…"

"I am listening."

"Very well… I am a dragon. I am a half demon, but the thing about me is that I only appear as a dragon after sun down. There aren't many of us, but we are known as the night dragons. I use my own skin to sell. I shed every couple of months and the I make nothing but profit from the whole cycle."

"…"

"Do you need any of my hide? It is the least I can offer you for saving my life. Or do you, like so many others, shun half-demons, thinking we are the scum of the earth."

"Not at all. I had a companion that is a half-demon as well."

"Had?"

"He was taken into hell by my sister…"

"…"

"Very long story…"

Kaede and Ryuu talked for a while longer until it was late in the evening. Ryuu said that it was time for him to go, because he was nearing his… transformation. He left more than enough of his hide for Kaede to have. She said she only needed a small amount for the ritual, but he insisted that she take it. Hr said that it might come in handy sometime in the future. The hide was a beautiful black color that shimmered under the moonlight. The scales were hard as rock, but it was light as a feather. How could something so strong be so light at the same time? Kaede walked out of the hut and saw the dragon fly across the horizon. Showing off its magnificence, and splendor. The way it moved through the air. He would slither up and down like a snake, but it was so graceful and elegant. Wow. It was truly an amazing sight to witness. It is usually every child's dream to see a dragon, and Kaede just met one… Just as Kaede turned to go back inside the hear some rustling in the bushes…

_Last time with Miroku and Sango:_

_"Watching thinking about?" Miroku closed his eyes and smiled. "That I am going to be a father…"_

_Now:_

"Yes, that you are. I can't wait until we finally get to be parents. Are you looking forward to it?"

"Of course I am Sango. I have always wanted to have children with you, and you know that. I couldn't be any happier at this moment."

It was all true; every word. Life was _almost_ perfect… the only problem was the fact that they had none of their friends to share their joy with. Miroku sighed and walked on, thinking about the best night of his life…

It was about two weeks ago when it all happened. He was with Sango collecting some herbs for Kaede. They were having fun talking and running around, that is until Miroku's hand planted itself on Sango's butt. Of course she slapped him, but how it proceeded from there was beyond all comprehension. The next thing he remembered was making love to the women of his dreams.

_Flashback:_

"Miroku we really should be getting back now… it's getting late."

"Must we? We have time on our own for once… do we have to end it so soon?"

"Time to ourselves?"

Miroku sat up and starred into Sango's gorgeous blue eyes… he was lost in them. And she too was lost in his as well. Miroku slowly moved his head closer to hers until their lips were only centimeters apart. After just a moment's hesitation he moved in and kissed her. Things began to heat up as the two began to explore more of each other's bodies. Miroku began to slide of Sango's cloths, while she did the same to his. Miroku gently rubbed his hand against her breast and she moaned with delight.

Sango arched her back giving Miroku a better position for entrance. He slowly slid his member into Sango and gently began to thrust in and out. Sango screamed for more as the soon began to move faster. Miroku reached his climax and released himself into Sango, filling her with his juices. Both of them were breathing heavily after their "workout" and they slowly broke apart and lay in the soft grass.

"Miroku… we can wait."

"… For what."

"Wait to go back…"

End flashback 

"Well here we are… the well that connects out time with Kagome's. What do you suggest we do Miroku?"

"To start off we should try a few of my sutras. I have these ones that are supposed to help one travel from this world to different realms… maybe it will work with different times also…"

"We can always hope."

_With Kaede:_

Kaede was just about to go back out and look for Shippo and Kirara until she heard a soft thud of the roof. She went outside to see what was the matter and found a rather large cat sitting on the roof with a small fox demon on its back.

"Shippo, Kirara I see ye have both returned."

Shippo hopped down and walked up to Kaede. He gave her the fungi and some wolf bones too. He told her how he had to fight two big wolves in order to get the fungus, and how Kirara saved him from most certain doom. Then Kaede showed Shippo the black dragon hide and told him her story. She explained how she met Ryuu and how he was a half-demon like Inuyasha. Shippo was so incredibly jealous that Kaede got see a _real_ live dragon! She told him that one day they may meet again and not to worry. After all it would really come in handy to have a dragon as a friend…

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Sorry if this chapter was pathetic and cheesy… but I tried. I need you guys to throw in some ideas here and there and that might help e out a bit. I know I promised you longer chapters but I couldn't think of anything else to stuff into this one. PLEASE KEEP READING!!!


	16. Fun and Games

**Very Important, Please Read. I Am Serious!**

OK. So I am going to clear a few things up for some people. The first thing I want to say doesn't necessarily target any of you. The one thing I hate, (and I'm sure many of you other authors feel the same), hate it when someone says that a character is "OOC." The reason I hate it is because this is a _fanfiction_; therefore, nothing in a story needs to follow the guidelines of the show, or the manga. What I am trying to say is that these stories are from the authors choosing, and they can make anything happen. If they want Sesshomaru to be cute and cuddly, then so be it.

The other thing I want to address to you guys, is the matter of confusion going around. Hell? Yes, my interpretations may be stupid or weird, but everyone is different. Also for the fact of the matter…. Is Hell really meant to be understood? Can anyone answer me that question? I don't think so. Sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused ant of you…

The last thing may not concern any of you but I will tell you nonetheless. I am rewriting my first chapter because it is so bad. I feel that people read it, see how much it sucks, and then leave without checking out the rest first… you can go back and check it out, but you don't have to…. Now, on with my pathetic story.

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Fun and Games**

_Last time with Kagome:_

_It was reality; she was never going to see him again. More tears flowed out of her eyes and she cried herself back to sleep… never wanting to wake up ever again._

_Now:_

Two days had passed since Kagome's ever so vivid dream. Just when her mom thought she was beginning to make progress she would slump back down into her depressed gloomy state. Every day they would do anything to try to cheer her up, but nothing ever seemed to get through to her. Souta suggested that she spend some time with her friends; she didn't have to go to school, but she should at least invite them over for a while. Since the next day was a Saturday she decided that she would give them a call after she did her chores.

Kagome woke up to the blazing music of her brother's stereo. She could hear the loud bass through the walls… it was driving her mad. As a lame attempt the quite the racked she pushed her pillow in her face. No such luck. Looks like she would have to take matters into her own hands. Kagome rolled off the side of her bed only to be met with a skateboard stabbing her in the back. She groaned in pain as she sat up and looked at what she had fallen on. Oh man, Souta was so dead!

"OW!! What the hell is this thing doing in _my_ room! SOUTA!!"

Even over the music Souta could hear his sisters deafening scream. He was worried something may have happened to her, so like the perfect brother he was, he rushed in to her aid. Probably should have sit this on out. There in the middle of her room was a horrifying Kagome with his skateboard held out at her side. He could almost see the veins popping out of her head. Shit! Souta made a dash for the door, but Kagome was too fast. In seconds she had him by his collar. After a struggle he managed to break free and go flying down the stairs into the living room.

"Mom, MOM, Kagome's going to kill me! Help!"

Kagome caught up to him and tackled her brother to the ground. He wasn't going to get away without a scratch. Oh no, it was time for the torture.

"Sorry little bro, but mom is at work today… and gramps is out for the day. You are all here alone… with me!"

Kagome knocked Souta on the ground and began her punishment. She started tickling him. He tried to get up and run, but she just ran him into the couch. He was cornered… he was done for. Eventually she had to stop her fun because Souta couldn't breath anymore. She didn't want her mom coming home to find a dead son… Kagome wouldn't want that either. Satisfied with her payback, Kagome bounced off of the floor and ran up the steps to take a shower. The only thing she didn't know was that was that Souta was already planning his revenge. This was gonna be a rough day…

Kagome walked into her room to grab all of her essentials for her shower: her hair dryer, brush, cloths, and make-up. She went into the bathroom and began to run some water. Felling it with her hand, she decided that it was at the right temperature to get in. it wasn't too hot or too cold either, but comfortably warm. Pulling back the curtain, Kagome slipped into the stall. As she pulled up on the center knob, the water came showering down upon her small body. It felt so good. Kagome closed her eyes and let her mind ease, releasing all of the stress that she'd bundled up in her head. Gracefully reaching down, she turned down the cold to make the water a bit warmer. The steam began to fill the small room, giving off a soothing feeling of contempt and relaxation.

Kagome reached up onto the rack and grabbed her strawberry scented shampoo. After opening it, she let the soft goop melt into the palm of her hand. Then she applied the substance to her hair and commenced scrubbing her scalp. As she cleaned she let some of the soapy soap fall down her skin, lathering herself with the supple suds as they descended. Just before she was about to wash the soap out of her hair she heard a horrifying noise from downstairs. A flush of a toilet…

'Oh Shit! No he did not!'

The water instantly went icy causing her to jump from its touch. The poor girl slipped on the slippery floor and fell. Now she was frozen, her hair was still soapy, and her ass hurt as well. Scrambling to turn off the water she grabbled hold of the curtain. It collapsed under the weight, not that she was heavy, and came crashing down on top of her. After turning of the faucet and stopping the freezing rain, she hobbled out of the tub and limped over to the sink. Kagome finished washing her hair under the sink and then blew it dry. She heard a certain someone laughing hysterically… the hideous sound came from the vents. The laughing that wasn't supposed to be heard traveled up through the ventilation system, flowing into the room for her to hear. He was so dead now…

'So, he wants to play hardball huh? Well that I know I can do.' Kagome had an evil grin on her face as the thought passed through her sadistic little mind.

Souta was now bawling on the floor after he heard the yelp and loud crashes from upstairs. The only thing he hopped for was that his sister would somehow think it was only an accident, and he had not done anything just to annoy her. Little did he know that she could hear his laughter, and knew right away that he was the one to blame.

Her brother was in the basement playing a few of his new videogames when Kagome came back down the stairs. She was ready for some payback. She knew all too well that this battle would last a long time, so she decided to prepare a little for later. Taking some water balloons, the evil teenager filled them and then placed the death bombs in the refrigerator. What should she do now? Those were going to be for later… once they were almost frozen.

He figured Kagome might have assumed it was him, and truth be told, he wouldn't blame her. They always pulled random shit like that on each other… it was a way of life for siblings. Now he was going to be prepared for any attack that she may throw out at him. The brave soul decided he would venture upstairs. With each step he took, he froze, thinking something was going to happen. As he approached the top of the staircase he peered around the corner…. Nothing. Souta crept along the wall, hoping not to interrupt his sister from whatever she was doing. He didn't want to make his presence known… I wonder why? Perhaps it was because he knew his sister had and a knack for playing pure evil tricks on him; much worse than what he may have done to her, she was truly blessed with a complicated and twisted mind, albeit it was much to his dissatisfaction. Souta didn't see anything suspicious, so he went into the other room.

"Kagome? Where are you?"

"I'm outside helping mom with the groceries! Come help."

Souta, knowing that he was safe as long as his mother was home, dashed off the aid them. Letting down his guard the imprudent little child dashed off for the exit. After opening the front door and getting a nice gust of cool wind in his face, he jumped off of the deck. Right away he was nailed right between the eyes with the end of the rake that he so gracefully happened to land on…. Now how did that get there? Souta stumbled back in a daze and tripped over the conveniently placed skateboard and fell into the wheel barrel. When he opened his eyes and his vision returned, he noticed something rather peculiar. His sister was in front of him waving, and she was getting smaller by the second.

"Huh? Wha-?"

Reality struck him just as hard as the rake had and his eyes went wide. Oh man. This wasn't going to turn out so well for him.

'Damn, damn, damn… this is gonna hurt.

Kagome watched at the top of the hill with her video camera, capturing every moment of this wondrous occurrence. Now she would be able to look back at it in the future and laugh about it all over again. She ran down the slope so she could keep the camera on the speeding object. When she was at the perfect angle Souta reached the bottom… heading straight for the utility shed.

The rolling mass pushed open the double doors to the shack and shot into the middle. As the wheel barrel hit the brick that was placed on the floor Souta went flying out of the front. He landed with a thud and smacked right into the tall rack of tools and paint. As he lay on the ground in a daze, he saw a bag of flour begin to fall off the top shelf…

'Shit!'

Kagome was still filming and caught the sight of her brother completely covered in flour from head to foot, walk out of the shed. Scrambling up the hill, Souta ran for the house. Kagome followed suite and when she was about ten feet from the door her brother jumped out. He shot a massive amount of sticky silly string into her hair…

"Noooo my hair!!"

"Haha I'm the best!"

'Wow… he thinks he's good because of that… okay then'

"You know Souta… you should really get cleaned up before mom gets back."

"Oh crap!"

Souta made a hastily dash for the door. Just as he got there he tripped over the trap Kagome had so cleverly placed. A bucket full of a dozen nearly frozen balloons came crashing down on the poor boy. Kagome laughed when she saw his face of utter shock and disbelief. She still had the camera going… this day was getting better and better.

"Look at it this way… now you're clean."

Kagome giggled when her brother just grunted and lay with his face in the mud. Kagome turned around to see three very familiar faces starring at her with wide eyes. The girl jumped with glee when she saw her friends; she then ran up and hugged each of them.

"I'm glad to see that you're better Kags!"

"Yeah. We've been worried about you."

"Why didn't you ever call?"

"Thanks for caring about me guys. I'm sorry for not calling though. Souta, where are you manners? Say hello to your guests!"

"Hi…h-…how…are you? Is I-..it c-c-…cold out here?"

Yuka burst out in laughter… "Oh my God! What did you do to him?"

"Nothing…. He brought it on himself… I made a tape! Do you guys want to see?"

"YES!!" All three answered to this and everyone went into the house.

The group was huddled closely together on Kagome's bed getting ready to watch the video. Yuka was sitting cross-legged while the other two were sprawled out, taking up a bit too much room. Souta just sat in the corner and moped. They waited as Kagome fiddled fill several buttons and wires, until finally a clear picture came up on the screen. Kagome plopped down with her friends on the bed and waited for the "show" to commence.

It started off with the camera facing Kagome. She waved and smiled at the little black lens. Her perky little face was full of spunk and happiness. Every one in the room inwardly melted when they saw this. They were all so happy that she was doing better. None of them had seen a smile come out of her in a long time. Souta was even delighted when he watched. He was proud and happy that he was the reason Kagome came out of her shell… or so he thought anyway.

Souta watched through all of the pain and humiliation of the video. He starred at the ground in agony as everyone kept laughing and rolling around. He didn't really care though; he wasn't going to let it get to him. He knew it was all just fun and games… but she got it on a freaking tape!! Now he knew everyone would be able to laugh at him; or rather "laughing with him," as Kagome would say. When it was all over and the gang calmed down after the much-needed laughter, Kagome decided it would be nice to go out for lunch.

"So would you guys want to go out to get a bite to eat?"

"Sure!" Eri piped in, she hadn't eaten that morning so she was rather hungry…

"Bro, you wanna come too?"

"Sure sis! You really mean it?"

"Of course… plus I need to watch you anyway… you would have no choice but to come along."

Souta always enjoyed it when he got to go places with his sister. She would always welcome him into her gang and make him feel appreciated. She would look out for him, so he was going to be there to help her out too, if she ever needed it. Hanging out with her, Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi always made him feel older and more mature. Some kids even though he was in their grade. He was actually pretty tall and quite built for his age. Kagome always said he would have girls hanging off him… he though otherwise. In any case he was happy nonetheless. Today was starting off to be a great day; lets just hope it will end that way…

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

The title of this chapter was given to me by my friend _Sango's best frien445_, and I would like to thank her for her support. I would also like to thank the rest of you that read _and_ review. You guys are great, I just hope you will continue reading. ALSO I really want you guys to check out my friend's story. No one is reading it; albeit, everyone should be… so please read it . It's called "The Balance," and it's by _Empress of the light. _ ( Isn't albeit a great word? I love it!!)


	17. New Bonds of Friendship

Well I am so INCREDIBLY bored that I am gonna give you guys titles for the reviews you have posted. And here they are:

_Longest review: _**_fanfictionmassacre (Ch. 1), and sango-chan104 (Ch. 8, 16), Empress of the Light (Ch. 8) _** (You three get to have a fight to the death for it…lol)

_Shortest review: _**_Dark Angel of Jyrki (Ch. 13, 15, 16) _** (Your reviews always seem to consist of one word…lol).

_Most spiteful review (not literally!): _**_sango-chan104 (Ch. 13), Lost-Inuyasha (Ch. 13)_**

_Other most spiteful review (Yes literally): _**_? (Ch 4)_**

_Thought too hard about what to say: _**_InuXKag66 (Ch. 7)_**

_Most insightful review: _**_Empress of the Light (Ch. 8)_**

_Most confusing review: _**_fanfictionmassacre (Ch.1)_**

_Most dramatic review: _**_Sango's best friend445 (Ch.10)_**

_Always has something nice to say (Also my biggest inspiration ___**_fallen rose petal (Every review you made)_**

_Most favorite reviewer: _**_All of you guys get this award!!! I love you all! With the exception of Sango's best friend…lol… jk, jk._**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha.

**Chapter Seventeen**

_Last time:_

Inuyasha was about to go to sleep but then he heard Aiko get up. He decided not to move and wait to see what she was going to do. To his surprised she got into the bed with him and snuggled in and then fell asleep. He just smiled and soon sleep overcame him too.

Now: 

The moon was shining brightly, casting glistening reflections off the calm waters. There was a slight gust of wind that would gently blow over every so often. The soft currents would make the small blades of grass rustle with the wind. A truly peaceful night it was… but none of it really made any sense. This was supposed to be Hell; a place of fire and death. Sure he had seen way too much of it, this just seemed… a little to eccentric. The Hanyou slept peacefully through the night. No nightmares, no fears, no worries. Would everything be the same when he woke up? Only time would tell…

Inuyasha woke up when he felt some thing under his arm start to move around. He was scared to open his eyes. He was afraid of what he might see. It was terrifying, knowing that he could wake up to utter destruction. Almost as if his mind and body were opposing one another, he managed to pry open one of his eyes. Glancing down his gaze caught the sight of the small girl cuddled under his arm. Inuyasha couldn't help but smile at the child. Normally he wasn't so… sensitive, yet somehow this girl was different. She made him feel emotions that were new to him. Aiko. She was still there. A sigh of relive managed to escape his lips… why was he so worried about this child? None of this was real? Was it? Inuyasha flushed the thoughts out of his head as he carefully got up and placed the girl back under the covers on the cot. How is it that in just one short day he felt so connected to this young human? Was it because he reminded him of himself so many years ago? Always being separated, torn away, and hated. It was like he was watching his childhood…

Inuyasha got this feeling that was trying to tell him to save this child… he needed to help her, take her away from this place. He thought that maybe she too, didn't belong here and needed to escape. Inuyasha swore to himself that no matter what would happen to him, he would try his hardest to free her. If she could be saved, then she would be saved. He would save her, for both of their sakes.

Inuyasha slowly crept out of the room trying not to wake the small human. When he got outside he stretched and cracked his bones, breaking out the stiffness in his spine. He saw Kikyo in the distance and decided to talk to her about his thoughts. He really needed to sort things out.

"What is it Inuyasha?"

"Well… ever since we came across Aiko and Yuuki, I've sensed something different about them."

"Yes, I have noticed this as well."

"Do you know what it is? I get the feeling that they don't belong here…"

"Indeed… I get the same feeling with you as well…"

"Kikyo… listen you don't have to- " She interrupted,

"This is my fault Inuyasha and you know it just as well as I do. Along with Aiko and her mother I will do everything in my power to justify this." With that said she walked away.

"Kikyo…" he just whispered.

He knew that she had been sincere. He also realized that when she first brought him here she didn't posses a soul; therefore, she was unaware of what she was doing. Now that she had her soul, she knew what she had done was the wrong.

Inuyasha walked back to the hut, where he found Yuuki sitting on the floor making some stew. As he approached her Aiko ran from the back room and hugged him. He was quite surprised, but then he hugged her back. She then released her hold from the hanyou and scampered off out of the hut. Inuyasha just stood in the doorway and watched her disappear into the distance.

"She really likes you." Inuyasha jumped at the sudden voice, and turned back around.

'Yeah…' was all he thought. Then he cleared his throat and decided that it was now or never to try to get any type of information.

"So… where exactly am I? I don't remember anything from before I woke up the other day.

Yuuki looked directly into the amber eyes that were just across from her. For the longest time she just sat there, searching for something. She found out what he was getting at and figured she should explain.

"You presume that we are in Hell?"

"Y…yes but I don't understand anything."

"Do you expect to? We are trapped in this evil void for eternity… Aiko and I have been 'living' here for about six years." Inuyasha gasped, 'Six fucking years! I have only been here a little more than a day, and I've already lost it!'

"Although we never had to go through any physical pain, such as you did, but we are constantly tortured mentally. She is stuck in a world where she is not accepted, and never will be… and I am here to suffer from the pain that she is going through. As a mother it kills me to see this go on, day in and day out. Aiko is strong, but I don't know if she will ever be okay if we never get out of here."

"I'm gonna go check on her…"

With Aiko:

The girl quickly ran from the hut. She was bored and wanted to do something fun… if she could find anything. She knew she shouldn't go into the village, but she wanted to anyway. As she walked up many of the townsfolk sent her glares. Why was this? Only the children usually tormented her… now the parents too? Then she remembered Inuyasha. She found a few kids playing in the grass kicking a ball back and forth. She sauntered over,

"Hi."

"Hi." Said one of the boys with his back still towards her.

"Can I play?"

"Sure," then the kid turned around and realized just who he was talking to, "uh- never mind… go away!"

"You already said I could play though!"

"I don't give a damn what I said. You are that filthy girl that help a pathetic half-demon. Now leave!"

Aiko's eyes began to swell and then she ran back outside of the village. Why had she done that? Her mom always told her to stay away from the village, she told her she might get hurt. She decided to go to her special spot. It was a small creek not too far from her home. She would go there everyday to think, and imagine what life might be like if her father were still alive. She never really knew him… he died when she was too young, and she couldn't recall anything about him. Suddenly Inuyasha popped into her mind. He had been the only male that ever did anything in her life. She looked up to him; she knew that he could be trusted.

With Inu:

Inuyasha walked for quite a long time…. Where did she go? He had been thinking the whole time. Should he tell her anything? She he even talk to her? What would he even say? Too many questions raced through his mind. Just then he smelled the scent of….tears? 'God I hate that smell. Whenever Kagome… Kagome…' his thoughts stopped when he said her name… he would never be able to see her again. And even if he did somehow make it back, she would surely be long gone by then anyway. He turned a corner and saw a small girl on a rock down by a creek. He heard her soft cries and slowly approached her.

"Aiko… Is that you?"

What would he do in this situation… he didn't know how to handle kids. The young girl turned around and jumped into the hanyou's arms, and cried. Not really knowing what to do in this situation he just trusted his instincts to comfort her. Much like he did with Kagome, he picked her up at sat her in his lap. He then turned her around so they were face to face. He was going to try his hardest to help her… hopefully he wouldn't make things worse.

"What's the matter? Are you ok?" She just gave him a half-hearted smile and nodded feebly.

"You can talk to me… I wont say anything to anyone."

"Why doesn't anyone like me?" 'Damn why did she have to say that?'

"Well… people often judge you for what they see… like me for example: you may have noticed I am a half-demon. Many people don't accept that."

"Why not? I see nothing wrong with it."

"Well that's good that you don't…. The other children in the village, they don't let you play with them?"

""No…"

"Don't worry, we'll just have to change that."

Inuyasha stood up with the child still in his arms and began walking back to the hut. The whole time he was walking he could only think that none of this was real. 'If this was Hell than why is everything happening like this? Is something bad going to happen?' As if the devil was waiting to him to think that Inuyasha walked out of the forest and found the hut in ruins… the girl leapt from his arms and ran towards her home.

"NO, Mamma!"

Inuyasha starred, completely horrified at the scene. He quickly ran after Aiko and scooped her up so she wouldn't have to see anything. The images would be too hard for her to bear…

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

I'm sorry that this chapter isn't very relevant or any good… but I needed to throw in an update while I think of how the plot will start… PLEASE STILL R&R


	18. Return of the Miko

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or anything else that may get me sued…

Chapter Eighteen 

**Return of the Miko**

_Last time at the well:_

_"To start off we should try a few of my sutras. I have these ones that are supposed to help one travel from this world to different realms… maybe it will work with different times also…"_

"_We can always hope."_

_Now:_

"Are you done with those damn pieces of paper yet?"

"HEY! They're called sutras, and they take lots of time and work to make. Yes, I am done now."

Miroku hopped out of the well and stood next to Sango.

"Do you think it works now?"

"I don't know. Lady-Kagome and Inuyasha were the only two to ever use it… but I can try."

"Be careful… you don't know what it's like."

"Don't worry my dear Sango, everything will be fine. I will go to her time, and then simply bring her back here."

"Ok… good luck."

"Who needs luck? I know it will work…"

Miroku jumped off of the edge and into the darkness….THUD! Sango heard a loud whack that was followed by a moan of pain.

"I though you said you knew what you were doing," Sango managed to say between laughs.

"Ooowwwch! Sango, can you help me up?"

"You got yourself stuck down there… get up on your own, monk."

"Very…. well…"

Miroku attempted to climb up the sides of the well…. It didn't go too well. He got about half way and then fell back down on his head.

Just then…

_Last time with Kaede and Shippo:_

_Shippo was so incredibly jealous that Kaede got see a real live dragon! She told him that one day they may meet again and not to worry. After all it would really come in handy to have a dragon as a friend…_

_Now:_

Shippo, Kirara, and Kaede were in the hut sitting in a circle. Kaede need to make sure they had everything they needed

"Snake venom?" Kaede asked.

"Check."

"Fungi?"

"Check."

"Wolf bones?"

"Check."

"Dragon hide?"

"Check."

"Pot?"

"Check."

"Black ashes?"

"Check."

"Dead Kitsune?"

"Che-… Wait, WHAT!!"

Kaede chuckled and Kirara mewed in amusement. The three then stood up and walked outside with everything they would need.

"We need to go down the hill, so we can be on flat terrain."

"Yes Kaede."

The fox and the cat scampered off down the hill, while Kaede took her time walking down. She really hoped this would work….

_Last time with Kagome:_

_Kagome always said he would have girls hanging off him… he thought otherwise. In any case he was happy nonetheless. Today was starting off to be a great day; lets just hope it will end that way…_

_Now:_

Well… lunch didn't go as well as they all had hoped for. The gang went down to Pizza Hut, which was located about a block away from the shrine. Everything started off perfect… that is, until they got a rather unsuspecting visitor… Everyone was now walking back to the shrine talking about what happened.

"Sis… mom's gonna be mad at you."

"I don't care! He started it!!"

Kagome and Souta were walking ahead of the three girls, and then Ayumi finally said something.

"So… I didn't think Hojo would show up.."

"Yeah I know what you mean… I thought he was still in the hospital," Yuka commented.

"Do you think we should have stopped her?"

"Eri, are you serious! He was asking for it! Wouldn't you have done the same in Kagome's situation?" Ayumi had stopped and pointed a finger at Eri as if to interrogate her.

"Well, yeah. I suppose you're right… but damn… she laid him out in one punch."

"Don't ever fuck with Kagome… I think she might kill someone next time."

"Yuka I think you're right on that one…"

After saying that, she sped up so she was next to her, still fuming, friend. She was scared to utter a single sound, so for a minute she just followed along side.

"What is it Ayumi?"

"Well… I think you could use some rest… so, meandtheotherswilltalktoyoulater. Bye!"

And with that sudden outburst, she dashed off with the other two.

Kagome and her little brother began to ascend the multiple stairs leading up to the shrine.

"Ugghh. Why are there so many stairs? We should get an escalator!"

"You fatty! Besides Souta, escalators are just moving stairs… so they're pretty much the same anyway."

"But I don't have to walk on it!"

"God you're a fat lazy child!"

Kagome then ran up ahead of him and began to walk to the house. When she passed the well, she could have sworn she heard something calling to her. Interested as usual, Kagome headed to the shed. She opened to doors…

'Well everything seems the same… Maybe if I jump down it? Nothing! Damn… wait? I don't have anything to connect me to their world anymore… but what if…'

Souta finally made it to the top panting like a dog. He walked over to the front door only to get run over by Kagome, who was charging out of the house with a sword in her hands. Souta sat up in a daze, not really realizing what happened. He got up and then staggered over to the door. He opened it and stumbled in.

Kagome ran to the well and stopped right in front of it. She gripped the Tetsiagua and jumped down into the darkness…

_Back with Miroku and Sango:_

Just then Sango heard a loud boom and starred wide eyed as lights came shooting out of the well. That wasn't the only thing that came shooting out either… a monk came flying out at an exhilarating speed. Unfortunately he slammed head first into a tree… Man today wasn't a good day to be Miroku.

Sango stood in awe as she saw a small hand grip the top of the well. She dashed over with excitement and looked over the edge. With out realizing it she screamed it delight, which sent the girl back down into the well… more blue lights…

Kagome opened her eyes… expecting to see the feudal era, but then she heard cars… 'What the fuck!!?!? I could have sworn it worked… wait did I hear Sango?'

Kagome decided to jump back in…

Sango stood at the top of the well with a petrified look on her face…

"Shit! She's gonna kill me!"

"Who's gonna kill you?" a small voice came from inside the well.

"KAGOME!!!"

Sango leaped down and helped her friend out of the well this time… not pushing her back down…

"Sango, do you know what happened? I thought I was on the other side and then I appeared back in my time?"

"Heehee, How bout that… So anyway! I'm so happy to see you! I thought you would never come back!!!"

The two teary eyed sisters hugged and then separated after the short reunion.

"I don't know how I got back, but I just all of a sudden sensed something different about the well."

"Yeah! Miroku put some of his sutras on it, hoping it may do something."

"Where is Miroku anyway…"

The two glanced over at the monk who was having quite a hard time figuring out how to stand up. Miroku crawled over to a tree and then stood up.

"Why Lady-Kagome! It's so nice to see you again," he said looking at the tree, "I'm so glad you made it back!" Now he was hugging the tree that was in front of him…

"What… did you do to him, Sango???"

"Umm, nothing… he got shot like a cannon right out of the well when you came back…"

_With Kaede and Shippo:_

"Kaede… how long will this ritual thing take?"

"Quite a while, young one… but we need-"

"KAGOME!!!"

"Yes actually… oh I see!"

Kagome and Sango were walking towards the hut with a half unconscious delusional monk between them. Kagome looked up when she heard someone scream her name. She glanced up just in time to put her arms out as the little fox tackled her to the ground.

"Hi Shippo!"

Shippo looked up with tears in his eyes. "I thought you weren't ever going to come back…"

"I just needed some alone time, that's all. So Sango why did you and Miroku need me back here anyway? The jewel is complete."

"Come into the hut, child. I shall explain everything to ye in there."

Kagome glance over at the old women with a smile, "Hi Kaede!"

Kaede smiled back and then proceeded into the hut. After everyone was comfortable Kaede began to explain everything that had happened since Kagome had left…

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Well that was a much faster update then I had expected… I have a question for all of you!

Would you rather have me update fast, such as what I've been trying to do, or would you rather have longer chapters? If you chose longer chapters, then that it will no doubt take me longer to update, but it's up to you!


	19. To ReLive Your Past

**Chapter Nineteen **

**To Re-Live Your Past**

_Last time:_

_Inuyasha starred, completely horrified at the scene. He quickly ran after Aiko and scooped her up so she wouldn't have to see anything. The images would be too hard for her to bear…_

_Now:_

Inuyasha was running away from the flaming building with the girl in his arms. She was crying her brains out into his shirt, he didn't mind it, he knew what she had to be thinking. He was contemplating to himself why this had to happen. This was pure torture, making both of them go through so much pain. He knew what it was like to lose a parent at a young age. And to top it off Yuuki was killed by her own people, just like his mom was. He was witnessing his life all over again, first hand.

When Inuyasha was far enough and away from any danger, he sat down and put the girl in his lap. He hugged her and shared her pain. Normally he wouldn't be doing anything so _emotional_, but this was just something that he could help. He lost the only person that ever cared for him in his life when he was a boy… and now it was happening to Aiko too. Why was life so cruel? Neither of them should be in this mess! He needed to somehow get out of here, and the sooner the better; but he wasn't going to leave her behind. There had to be a way to escape. Even if it were only her that would be able to break free of the grief and pain that came to them, he would be satisfied and happy. When he looked back down he noticed that she was no longer crying, and she was looking up at him with mournful eyes, searching for answers.

"Inu-Inuyasha?"

"Yes?"

"What happened to mommy?" He cleared his throat,

"She was attacked…"

"Is she…dead?" Although the girl was young, she had managed to learn a lot about life, and the sorts.

"Yes." Inuyasha figured it would be best not to dwell and prolong the pain, so he outright said it.

"Oh… They killed her because of me… right?"

Inuyasha didn't know what to say. He wanted to say 'No of course not, how could you think something so foolish!' but instead he just fell silent. He felt _exactly_ the same when his mother was killed. He blamed himself for it; he still blames himself for it. He came up with the best answer he could,

"No. It isn't your fault. Some people just don't know what to expect in this world. The villagers killed your mom because they were mad, and didn't know what they were thinking. It's my fault really…"

"No it's not! Why would you think that?"

"If you two never helped me then the villagers never would have attacked your mother. If you two just left me, then none of this would have ever happened." 'This truly is my fault. Right?'

"Don't say anything like that! Mommy and I wanted to help you; if we didn't then we never would have in the first place! How can you possibly blame yourself?"

"Then how can you put the blame on yourself too?"

Inuyasha stood up and began to walk back to the hut, or what was left of it anyway. He figured it had been long enough for the fire to burn out, and the smoke to clear. Aiko followed with haste, running beside him. When they got there, they found Kikyo under a tree. She was holding prayer beads and reciting words in a different language. Inuyasha looked down to see that she'd buried Yuuki already, and even gave her a ceremony. The three stood still looking at the grave beneath them. No one said a single word, until Aiko finally ran off into the half-standing home.

"Thanks Kikyo. You know you didn't have to do anything."

"Inuyasha. Although you may not realize it, I still care about you, and I am still going to do everything to help you. I will release both you and Aiko for the devil's grasp, and the two of you shall live once again."

With that said Kikyo walked off into the forest. Inuyasha turned around, heading into the hut where he found Aiko on the ground gathering up some of her belongings. He figured they would need to find somewhere else to stay, because this obviously wasn't going to do… but where would they go? With out giving it anymore thought, the hanyou and the little girl ventured off into the woods seeking shelter.

After about an hour of searching Aiko had already fallen asleep and Inuyasha was carrying her on his back. Since he wasn't going to find any sort of home, he decided that a tree had to do for now. He jumped up onto a wide branch that was actually quite high. He wasn't sure which to do; take a high branch so they weren't attacked, but risk the fact that she might fall, or take a low branch and hope that no one tried to hurt them at night. He went to the high branch… everyone that was around wanted to hurt them both… he would just have to make sure she was close to him and didn't fall. Once at the top, he lay back against the large trunk with the girl in his lap, and closed his eyes.

_With Kikyo:_

Kikyo walked through the small town looking at each stall and booth that she passed. Her mind was going nuts. How the hell was she supposed to get those two back on earth? Perhaps a ritual? She couldn't find any of the ingredients that would be needed for such a stunt. So she couldn't think of anything else to do. She had to think of something! Then it hit her,

'A soul transfer! I can drain my soul's energy and once depleted, use it to purify their souls and bring them back to life! That would work!'

Sure it would work… but since they were in hell that would probably cause a bit of a dilemma. Not to mention the fact that she was dead. A priestess with incredible powers, but a dead one at that… In order to perform this experiment she needed a pure heart and soul for her self. If she didn't than the task would surely kill her instantly. Why should that matter? She's already dead, so what harm could it do? Well, there was always the chance that the other person's soul will be trapped in a dormant state for all of eternity. Also the possibility of their death as well, was also very probable. Doing one of these was life threatening and one of the most dangerous things a priestess could ever perform, and she was going to so it on two souls at the same time? All odds were against her, but she had to try nonetheless.

_With Inuyasha:_

Inuyasha opened his eyes and saw fire, and death. Not this again! He saw the blood on his hands and all over his body. Villagers were scattered all around him. Not a living soul was present; he had killed the whole village, every single person down to the last child. All he could smell was the stench of rotting flesh and blood. Inuyasha shook his head and ran into the woods to the lake. He couldn't have done this, but then again it was quite feasible. He had done it before, so why not again? In his mind he was a heartless monster. He didn't deserve to live. His heart was telling him differently, that it wasn't his fault. The evidence was clear though; he was a cold-blooded killer. When he got to the lake he looked down to see his reflection… those red eyes starring right back at him. So he transformed? That's why he didn't remember anything? He thought he could control his transformations… then he remembered not having the Tetsuaiga. He had no control over himself any more. He needed to do something fast, be fore he hurt Aiko or Kikyo. He raced back to the tree. It was almost daylight now and he had to get back before she woke up. He vowed to protect her at all costs. He was already mad that he'd left her in the middle of the night, and if anything happened to her he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. When he approached the tree and looked up, his heart stopped and his blood ran cold…

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

So far a few of you have said to have reasonably lengthy chapters, such as my last few, and to do fast updates. Well this is a fast update… I think its three chapters in like two days? Lol. Anyway, I hope you all liked it, so don't forget to review; and remember, I am **ALWAYS** open for suggestions and new ideas!


	20. Trouble Already?

**Chapter Twenty**

**Trouble Already?**

_Last time:_

_Kaede smiled back and then proceeded into the hut. After everyone was comfortable Kaede began to explain everything that had happened since Kagome had left…_

_Now:_

"So you guys are saying is that we have a way to get Inuyasha back?"  
"That is correct, but it takes quite a while and a lot of spiritual power to do so. I will need ye and Miroku to aid me in the ritual."

Kagome thought for a few moments. Could she really get Inuyasha back? Would this really work? She didn't want to get any hopes up, because if nothing worked than she knew she would be crushed beyond repair. It had taken her so long to try to adjust to not being with him all the time, and if she got the impression that it could be different, then there would ne nothing to stop her, but the small bit of doubt was causing her so much pain. Her heart had already been torn into tiny pieces, and one more thing could push her right over the edge.

It was getting late, so the gang decided that they would talk more and get the preparations in the morning. It had been a long day for Kagome and she was quite stressed over everything. Fighting with Hojo, knowing the possibility of seeing her Hanyou again, it was all too much for her to take in, over just a few hours. Kagome decided that instead of sleeping with everyone else, she wanted to go out to the sacred tree and spend sometime there.

As she lay on the ground closely wrapped in the soft quilt, she let her mind race with emotions. She couldn't comprehend that fact of bringing him back to life. Id something like that possible? And if it was, and it worked, would he even want to see her? She promised him that she would forever stay by his side… she broke that promise now, and it was entirely her fault. She could have at least tried to do something about it. Kagome wasn't scared of death or anything like that, so why didn't she try to stop Kikyo? Inuyasha said that he wanted to make the sacrifice so she could be happy. How in the world could she possibly be happy without him around? Now she was mad at herself. How could she have been so naïve to not realize what was going on? As the cold night went on, the girl began t drift off into her dreams… or nightmares.

_In the hut:_

Miroku and Sango were settling in for the night as well. They both were under the same predicament Kagome was… they weren't too sure what to think, if it was at all possible, or if it was even for best.

"Sango? What's on your mind?"

Sango took in a long sigh and slowly spoke,

"Well, I didn't think it was even possible for anything like this to happen. Now that Kagome is actually here, I realize that we may be making a horrible mistake by attempting this."

"Are you saying that you have second thoughts?"

"Well, yes and no, I guess. I mean… what if this doesn't work? Kagome will be devastated. She can't take much more of this Miroku, and you've realized this as well."

"We will leave the ultimate decision up to Lady-Kagome. If she wishes to try, then I am not the one with a mind to stop her. I will explain to her the how dangerous this ritual truly is. In reality if it is not done properly she could be killed. If she does decide to go through with it though, I am going to stand by her, and help as much as I can."

Sango smiled at her fiancés will to help their friend. Although there may be dire consequences, she too would stay by Kagome until the end. Kagome had done so much for her over their lives together, and Sango was determined to do whatever it took to repay her dept. Without Kagome or Inuyasha for that matter, she wouldn't be there now. They had both saved her life countless times and she was forever in their dept. She would try her hardest to aid her friends, even if it meant the cost of her life. She knew that any of them would do the same for her as well

_Morning:_

Kagome woke rather early that morning, and she was happy that for the first time in a long while, she had not had any bad dreams. Maybe everything was going to work out after all. The girl stood up and decided that she would take a walk into the forest to think about things.

_In the hut:_

Miroku had woken up to the sweet smell of breakfast flowing about the hut. Shippo had been up for a while and was outside now. He wanted to get away from the tempting smells of Kaede's delicious stew. He knew that with his nose, of all people, would not be able to wait until the food was even close to being done. So he decided to go look for Kagome. He knew that she slept outside, but Miroku insisted that the kit give her some time alone that night. He hadn't heard from her yet this morning, so he ventured off.

"Sango, could ye finish the cooking? I want to go check on the villagers early so we will have more time and fewer interruptions later."

"Of course Kaede. When do you expect to start the ritual?"

"The sooner the better, so I would say whenever Kagome gets back."

"Where did she go?"

"Shippo told me that she had gone off for a walk, so he went to look for her."

"I see. Well good luck, and come back soon."

"I will child, I will."

Miroku sat down next to Sango and began to massage her shoulders, gently caressing her caller bone. Sango couldn't help but lean into his warm touch. She sighed and rested her head on his chest. Miroku leaned in closer and nibbled at her ear and whispered in her ear, 

"Don't worry about the food… no one's here right now, so we can have some alone time."

Although Sango actually would have enjoyed some _alone_ time with the monk, she knew that this was not the time for such desires.

"Sorry Miroku, we can't today. We need to concentrate on the problem at hand, and then afterwards we can…some fun. Why don't you go outside and start to prepare for the ritual."

Miroku just pouted and crossed his arms like a five year old,

"No fair! Fine… call me in when the food is ready."

"Will do."

The monk sadly got up and placed a chaste on his fiancés cheek before heading out of the hut. He did realize however, that the faster they got this done, then the faster he could _play_ with Sango later. After this one lecherous though he hurried around gathering all of the necessities and placed them in around on the ground.

_With Kagome:_

Kagome was walking along the banks of the river, letting her small feet be covered with the brisk waters. As she was walking she was contemplating whether or not this was a good idea. She had gone over it for well over an hour last night, but she was still undecided. What if he's a completely different person, and doesn't even recognize her? Maybe he hates her now? Kagome whipped around when she heard some rustling from the bushes behind her. Just then a giant lizard yukai leapt from hiding and lunged towards the girl. Kagome stumbled back and fell on the ground, as the demon dove over her. One of his sharp claws scratched her face, and it began to bleed.

"Shit! Why of all times did I decide to leave my bow this morning?"

Kagome bounced to her feet and tried to run away. She got about four or five yards out but then the demon pounced on her from behind. She was tackled to the ground and now had a three-hundred pound creature crushing her. The poor girl could hardly breathe, and began to thrash around, flailing her arms. Due to some amazing luck and major stupidity of the lizard, Kagome managed to free herself just enough to smack the animal across the face. Her long nails tore a bit of skin off its face and it yelped in pain. It got up off of her, but only to swipe at her body. The demon's large claws scraped against Kagome, ripping her shirt to shreds. Luckily that's all it did, because the blow was more than enough to tear her small body in two. The last thing she remembered was being thrown against a tree, and then the darkness came…

_Shippo:_

The tiny kit ran as fast as he could into the forest. Kagome should have been back by now, so something had to be wrong! As he ran through the bushes and shrubs he caught a whiff of blood. Kagome's blood…

As the kitsune approached the center of the smells he heard a muffled scream from behind him. Even though he was nearly a half mile from the hut, he still managed to hear Sango's breakfast call. His stomach ached and growled in pain. He wanted to go get the food, but this was way more important than any food. He needed to find Kagome, and he needed to do it fast.

When he finally arrived at his destination, his blood went cold and the hair on his back shot up. He saw Kagome's torn shirt that lay on the ground. Some blood was on it, and there was more blood leading into the forest as well. The blood didn't concern him nearly as much as the smells did though. Through all the different stenches he could clearly make out two of them… lizard demon, and wolf…

_Sango and Miroku:_

Sango finished stirring the stew and got up to call out to the boys that their breakfast was done. Miroku was at her side in an instant, ready to fill his gut. What concerned her was that neither Shippo, nor Kagome had come. Maybe it was just taking them a little while. Yeah, that was it, there was nothing wrong. The more Sango thought that, the more time passed without either of them showing up.

"Kirara," she called her little kitten over from the corner, "can you go see if you can find Shippo or Kagome?"

The cat mewed in response and trotted out the door. Sango got up and went to the doorway as the demon transformed and then took off into the distance.

"Shippo… Kagome, I sure hope you two are alright…" Sango sighed and then rejoined Miroku and began to eat.

"Don't worry yourself Sango; I'm sure they are perfectly fine."

"Thanks Miroku. I hope your right."

* * *

Sorry about the longer wait everyone; I recently got a new cpu and I needed to get a lot of programs on it. I hope that you all liked this chapter, and please don't forget to review!! I shall try to update faster next time... 


	21. A Battle for Life

**Chapter Twenty-one**

**A Battle for Life**

_Last time in Hell:_

_When he approached the tree and looked up, his heart stopped and his blood ran cold…_

_Now:_

Inuyasha looked up and saw Aiko lay limp in his arms. He never thought that this would happen. Inuyasha had completely forgotten about Naraku for that matter. Inuyasha's eyes began to flicker with tints of red in them. His claws were slowly growing, and his demon was coming out. He stepped forward and took a fighting stance,

"Put her down Naraku! Or I'll rip you to shreds."

Naraku just laughed at the comment and brought a tentacle up to Aiko's throat,

"And if I don't? You have no power over me Inuyasha; I have the girl, so there's nothing you can do."

Inuyasha gritted his teeth in frustration; he then realized that he'd lost.

"What do you want from me?"

"Revenge, what else would I want?"

"Okay then. If I let you take me will you let her go?"

"Poor, poor Inuyasha; always mixed up with humans. Why do you care what happens to her? You seem to have the feelings of when you were on Earth with that other mortal."

"SHUT UP! You have no right to talk about Kagome like that!"

"Are you mad now? Good. That will make the torture even better."

"Just let her go first."

"Very well, I am a man of my word, here"

Naraku threw the girl at Inuyasha and he caught her in his arms. He then turned around and placed her on the ground. He looked down at her and then she stirred as her eyes fluttered open.

"Inu- Inuyasha?"

"Don't worry your safe. I need you to run away now."

"But why?"

"Just do it… I… I promise I'll come for you later…"

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes… just go. Now!"

Aiko turned and ran into the distance, but before she was too far away, she hid behind a tree. She was still close enough to hear and see him. Then she noticed the other man that was with him… he was the one that attacked them before. Aiko waited to see what would happen, listening to everything.

"Now. I let you take the kid back, so you have to come with me."

"And if I don't. I could just kill you right now."

"I would love to see you try Inuyasha, I would just love to see you try."

Aiko watched in horror as one tentacle pierced through Inuyasha's stomach, and another slammed into his side, flinging his into a tree. She understood what he did; but what is she supposed to do? Her mom was gone, none of the villagers would take her in, and she had no one now. Then an idea popped into her mind, and she scurried off toward the village.

'Kikyo!'

"Inuyasha do you honestly think that you could defeat me? You're pathetic! A filthy half-breed could never even touch someone of my caliber."

"You're a hanyou as well, or did you forget that? Deep down inside you feel the same hatred in yourself."

"Shut up! You are in no position to be talking like that; especially since you're going to die."

"How am I going to die? We are in Hell dumbass…"

Naraku shot another one of his tentacles at Inuyasha, but this time it was dodged. The half-demon leaped at Naraku, ready to fight him head on. He figured that he wouldn't have a chance in Hell of defeating him. 'Ha… chance in hell…'

Inuyasha charged at his opponent dodging the appendages that came rocketing toward him. He managed to get close enough to Naraku to plant one nice blow to the side of his face, but he was hit in the rib cage in an instant and fell to the ground. Naraku stood, towering above his victim. He slapped Inuyasha in the side of his face with his hand. The forced was so strong that it sent him soaring across the field and crashing into a large rock. His body broke when it hit the boulder and the rock itself cracked under the pressure. He slowly managed to get to his feet and limped back over to Naraku. He wiped some blood with his sleeve and approached his enemy. For about five minutes they just stood there; eyes locked, unmoving, simply staring each other down. It was Inuyasha to break the silence,

"I don't care… what you do to me," he coughed up some blood, "I'm not going to give up, I'll wither kill you or die trying!"

"Well then, it looks like you're going to die trying. Suite yourself, if that's what you really want."

Inuyasha was instantly slammed down into the dirt face first. His neck snapped and pain jolted through his body. When he tried to get up he was impaled yet again right through his back. Naraku had Inuyasha by the throat, and was holding him high off the ground. He began to squeeze harder and harder, until Inuyasha's face began to lose all traces of life. Naraku laughed as he drove another appendage straight through his stomach; blood gushing out of him into giant pools that lay at his feet. Inuyasha's face turned pale and his eyes closed shut. His breathing had stopped and his body went limp in Naraku's grasp…

_With Aiko:_

She ran as fast as her feet could possibly take her. The girl ran all the way to the village that Kikyo had been at for a while. It was nearly a two mile walk, but running she had managed to get there in a little under six minutes. She knew that there was absolutely no time to spare, and she needed to get help as fast as possible.

Running around frantically, Aiko began screaming out Kikyo's name, hoping to find her fast. Many of the villagers came out of their huts murmuring about how bothersome the little girl had been. Aiko ignored their protests and continued to search for the priestess.

_With Kikyo:_

Kikyo was in a flowery meadow just outside the south end of the town. She had heard some screams coming from the area and decided to investigate. She never did find anyone, but it was a nice place for her to take a break and think over a few things.

Walking over to a log, the priestess sat on a large oak stump. The area was nice and quiet, so she felt at ease. Her mind began to open up, and she pondered at how to initiate the soul transferring with Inuyasha and Aiko. It would definitely be in her best interest to get some help, because in order for her to complete this, she would need time. As the spell is preformed there can be no interruptions and no physical contact from the outside world. If anyone were to come up, they could simply kill all three of them. Kikyo needed to find someone willing to help them out… but the thing was who would be willing? Everyone they'd met was either scared of them or despised the hanyou. Kikyo furrowed her brow in frustration. This was going to be harder than she had hoped. Not only was the spell one of the most difficult one to do, but they would be helplessly vulnerable to Naraku, or anyone else for that matter, and there was nothing they could prevent him from doing. This thought made her shudder. After all this time, everything that had happened in their lives; Naraku never seemed to go away. Whenever she had tried to dissipate him from her memory, he would somehow manage to reappear. Now even in death he haunted her mind. She was in Hell and he was still after her. What did she do to deserve any of this?

Then she thought of Inuyasha. He was in an even worse predicament. He had no idea what to do, he was stuck in this void, Naraku wanted revenge, and after everything he'd gone through he was separated from Kagome. This had to be even worse for him. He never did deserve anything she had done in the past when she tried to drive away Kagome. Every time she had done that, a piece of Inuyasha's heart would be lost. Every time she had ever brought trouble upon those two; his heart would crack. Soon enough, if she didn't act quickly, there would be nothing left of his mind or soul. He would be an empty body… completely useless and dead. There was no way she was going to let that happen; even if this cost her the very body and soul she possessed, then without a second thought she would give them up.

Kikyo could faintly hear a child's screams. They weren't the same as before, but the sounds were quite familiar to her ear. After a moment of indecision she jumped up and dashed off to the girl. Aiko was in trouble and Kikyo knew she needed to get to her fast. As she rounded a corner in the village she ran straight into Aiko… literally. The two slammed headfirst into one another and toppled over in pain. Aiko quickly jumped to her feet and began to yank on Kikyo's kimono,

"Hurry Kikyo, hurry!"

"What's wrong? You need to tell me what's going on!"

"No time! Hurry!"

With that, the small child dashed off into the village. After gaining her composure Kikyo ran after her. The girl was fast, but because Kikyo was older, had longer legs, and was stronger, she caught up pretty quickly.

"What's going on? Why aren't you with Inuyasha?"

"That… that demon has him! We need to hurry before he gets killed. Inuyasha is already injured too much, and if we don't get there now, he will die!"

Kikyo, with amazing strength, picked up the girl and tore off into the woods. With Aiko on her back giving her instructions, it would only take them half the time it took Aiko to get into the village. The priestess and the girl burst through the shrubs and trees into the opening just in time to see Inuyasha's lifeless limp form drop and crash into the blood stained dirt at his feet. Aiko instinctively ran for her friend, wanting to be by his side. He had saved her, and she wasn't about to let him die.

Noticing that Naraku had his eye on the girl, Kikyo raised her bow and fired a shot that went rocketing at the demon. The arrow broke through a tentacle and then grazed Naraku's face. It left searing burn marks across his left cheek as he howled in pain. Before he could even turn to look at the miko, another arrow was coming at him. He scoffed at leapt back-wards, this time dodging the deadly projectile. Knowing that he didn't stand a chance he fled; he may not have shown any signs of pain, but the first arrow had nearly purified half his body. If it was managed any direct contact he would have been killed instantly.

Kikyo ran over to the girl that was softly crying over the form of Inuyasha. She approached and knelt down beside her. Kikyo held the girl in her arms and tried to give her as much comfort as possible. Inuyasha had always put his life before the others that he cared about, but he never realized that it actually hurt them too. So many times she had seen him save Kagome, and nearly die in the process. Kagome would be devastated and think that it was all her fault. Then she would go into a state of depression and everyone would be upset. Even though all of intentions were good, they weren't always the correct action to take. He had always been to reckless for his own good, and she knew that that would surely cause his death one day.

"He… he can't really be dead… can he?"

"He is alive for the time being, but I don't know how much longer he will be able to hang in there. We need to get him medical attention right away"

Aiko stood and then grabbed Inuyasha and tried to pull him up.

"You go and try to find help Aiko, I will try to move him."

The girl obeyed instantly and took off toward the village. Kikyo tried her hardest to lift Inuyasha, but failed at each attempt. She finally managed to support him on her shoulders and half drag his body. She was very scared at this point; he was unconscious, hardly breathing, hid pulse was almost non-existent, and on top of that they would need to somehow find someone to help. This worried her mores so, she realized that with the village against them it would be near impossible to get anyone to help them. Plus it was Aiko that went into the village to try to get some help, and she wasn't very liked by anyone there. This was going to be most difficult. Inuyasha most likely wouldn't make it…

_With Aiko:_

The girl ran as fast as she could; dodging tree limbs and hopping over logs on the forest floor. Not once did she bother to stop and breath. She began to slow down after a ways, and her body wouldn't be able to take much more. She had already put herself into overdrive, and didn't have any energy left. Her heart was in the right place, but her physical status just wasn't enough to continue onward. The girl collapsed on the ground panting for air, and rested against a nearby tree. She wanted to get up, but her body simply wouldn't let her. She began to drag herself, but after using her last bit of strength she fell straight on her face. As she glanced up once more, she noticed a blurred bark figure that was slowly approaching her…

_

* * *

_

I hope you guys liked this chapter, so don't forget to review and tell me what you think! Sorry 'bout the wait, but I couldn't think of what to write for the longest time...


	22. The Problems Don't Seem to End

**Chapter Twenty-two**

**The Problems Don't Seem to End**

_Last time:_

_Through all the different stenches he could clearly make out two of them… lizard demon, and wolf…_

_Now:_

Shippo ran around a tree and in to the clearing. Scurrying across the ground as fast as his little legs could take him, he dashed forward. After turning the corner the kit noticed a large heap that lay on its back. He approached it cautiously, not knowing if it was alive. Sure enough it was a lizard demon. It must have attacked Kagome or something. Shippo sniffed around and then turned his head to see Kagome's shirt, or what was left of it for that matter. The blouse was torn to shreds and stained with blood; Kagome's blood. He also could make out the strong scent of wolf, so that must mean that Koga had been there as well. Perhaps he saved her? He needed to track them down, especially if they wanted to do the ritual in time while they still even had the chance. The kitsune scurried off into the direction of the den.

_With Sango and Miroku:_

The two had waited… and waited… and waited, but still no sign of any of their friends. They were beginning to get worried, it wasn't like Kagome to bet gone for so long. Shippo would have normally come back to get help if they were in any danger, and he hadn't return either. Something must have gone wrong. On top of all that, they were running out of time to get Inuyasha back. They would only have until midday tomorrow, and that was hardly enough time considering their circumstances.

"Sango you stay here and I will go to the village and find Kaede. I'm sure she just got a little too busy helping out, so I will go try to speed things up."

"Just make sure you're careful. And don't be gone too long!"

"Don't worry; I'll be back before you know it.

_With Kaede:_

"Hold still so I can help ye!"

"Well it's kinda hard with the extreme pain from every little touch!"

"Then drink the dang potion I gave ye!"

"No."

"Then stop complaining about everything, and let me place this splint on ye leg."

The man hollered in pain as the old priestess place the board on his leg and wrapped it tightly around. He had slipped down into a ditch and then when he tried to get out he fell again. The second time he fell he landed a little off and ended up breaking his leg. Why are so many people so damn clumsy all the time? If people didn't get hurt from being so stupid than Kaede wouldn't even be needed in the village. Everything that seems to happen is some horrible mistake that some idiot decided to do.

"There, all done. Now I am late for something, so if ye don't mind I will be leaving. Ungrateful asshole…"

"What was that?"

"I said have a nice day. I'll be seeing you around. I will also come back and check on ye in the next week, and be sure to stay off the leg before it gets worse."

Kaede was honestly getting rather tired of being the "healer" of the village. Everyone went to her for their most petty little discomforts. Why couldn't anyone just do something on their own for a change? Then again knowing how intelligent most of the townsfolk were, they would probably just hurt themselves even more. Nevertheless, it was her purpose in life whether she chose it or not. She just wished she had someone to help her. Now there's an idea maybe she could train an assistant. There was always Kagome, but she was tired of burdening the child with all of her problems.

"Miroku, what brings ye down here?"

"You. We are running late and I need your help with the rest of the preparations."

"Is everything going according to plan?"

"All accept the fact that we are missing Kagome and Shippo…"

"That is not good. When did ye see them last?"

"Well, Kagome had gone off by herself, as usual, and then Shippo went off to find her. We haven't heard from either of them since."

"Let's return and finish getting the items ready for the ritual."

_With Shippo:_

He raced on, toward the direction of Koga's den. He was going as fast as his little feet could carry him, but was tiring rather quickly. His body wasn't used to so much physical endurance. Perhaps he should've listened to Inuyasha about how he needed to stay in shape. Shippo had brushed it off because he never really participated in any battles. He would have to start his training now; he figured without Inuyasha even here, he should get stronger anyway. Hopefully Inuyasha would be there, but either way he was determined to get into better shape.

Shippo was running through a thick forest when he heard some twigs snap from behind him. He stopped instantly and began sniffing around for any demons that may be present. Another twig snapped and the kit whirled around on his hind legs prepared for the worst. Wasn't this just great; he was completely worn out and now he was in danger from some hungry demon. He could feel the soft vibrations in the earth that the demon was making as it neared closer… and closer…

_Wit__h the others:_

Miroku and Kaede had returned from the village and were now in the hut getting the rest of the things that were needed. Sango had gone out to get a bucket of water, and just get some fresh air.

"No, no, no the dragon hides go on the ground over there!"

Miroku was getting rather fed up with the old women. She was nice, but he definitely saw why Inuyasha avoided her so much. Always bickering about something. She would always blame her old age as an excuse to get him to do something. He realized that she was quite capable of many things, but she insisted that she was too old and weak to do it. He was beginning to think she was taking advantage of him… but no matter what it may be, he didn't want to stress her out at this time.

"Is here okay?"

"Yes that will do. Now start a fire so ye can boil the water when Sango returns."

"Yes Lady-Kaede. "

_Sango:_

Sango was walking through the forest with Kirara by her side. She loved that crazy cat, and would do anything for her. She knew that Kirara would do anything for her as well. They had been through so much together; the death of their family, the countless battles with Kohaku, and everything else with Naraku. Kirara had been the most loyal companion she had ever been with, and she trusted her life with her… she wished she could say the same for Miroku… but oh well, she could smack him into shape a little later.

"Kirara, would you mind going out to look for Shippo and Kagome?"

"Mew!"

"That's a good girl. Come back and get us if anything is wrong, and be sure to stay safe."

After the brief instructions, the cat transformed and flew off into the sky looking over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of her master. Yep, she was the most trustworthy, loyal friend Sango had ever come to love. She would give up the world to be with that cat. If anything ever happened to her a piece of her heart would die as well.

_With… the wolf:_

Koga had found Kagome cowering underneath an enormous lizard demon, and she was about to get eaten alive. He got to her just in time and managed to kill it without much effort. The one thing that was on his mind was why she'd been out on her own. He thought that she never left without that mangy mutt close to her. Maybe she finally realized that he was the one for her, and she for him. Yes, that had to be it. His Kagome had finally seen the light and left that disgraceful half-breed. For once everything was going to go his way; he was going to have his mate, and Inuyasha was going to be out of the picture. Well now that he thought about it… where had that dog gone off to? He didn't even smell him on the girl. That could only mean that she left him a while ago because of something stupid he must have done. Go figure, he could always rely on Inuyasha to make his women upset. Now that was all going to change.

The wolf-demon raced through the mountains with the miko unconscious in his arms. She had passed out just before he came to her aid. Her shirt was torn and wasn't salvageable at the least. As if he cared, she was going to be his mate anyway, so why should if matter if he saw her body? He was going to take her back to the den, get her situated and then let her have a good night's rest. God only knew what evil thing Inuyasha had done to her, and he knew that she needed to rest her mind. As he approached the cave he ran into his two stooges.

"Hey Koga! What's with that human?" Ginta asked.

"Yeah Koga, I thought she was Inuyasha's wench?"

Koga, with one arm gripping Kagome, shot out at the wolf and grabbed Hakkaku by the neck, "She was never _his_, she _is_ my mate and you will respect her!"

"Yes sir. But you haven't marked her yet… have you?" He squeaked out with Koga's hand still grasping his throat.

"Well I will soon enough! Now get out of my way, and don't bother me till morning."

Ginta turned to his pal,

"I got a bad feeling about this…"

"Yeah me too," Hakkaku said while rubbing his now soar jugular.

"You think we should get Inuyasha? I have a strong feeling that Kagome didn't necessarily come here under her own will."

"You know Ginta I think that's the smartest thing that's ever come out of your mouth."

"Shut it!"

_With Shippo:_

Shippo jumped around as a small feline burst out of the brush and tackled him on the ground licking his face. God he was relieved that it wasn't some hungry demon.

"Kirara you scared the living daylights outta me!! Don't do that!"

"Mew!" 'Haha stupid little fox.'

"It's okay… are you here to help me find the others?"

"Meow." 'Sadly, yes I have been sent to look after your stupid tail…'

"Ok then, let's go."

'Please don't say you want a ride… shit!'

"Kirara would you mind if I can get a ride… I'm a little worn out from all the running."

'Of course you are wimp! You never once exercised! You always stuffed your face with that nasty brown chocolate stuff…. Sure, you can get a ride, but I'm not promising I won't drop you…'

Kirara bent over after she transformed and Shippo got on her back to continue to the den. She never liked Shippo; he was always so hyper and energetic, he always wanted to play. He would torture her over and over again, nagging at her to play something with him. She was a cat!!! So naturally she was content on eating, sleeping, hunting, sleeping, and the occasional sleeping. She also wouldn't mind going out for a little fox hunting every now and then, but if she ever laid a paw on that evil kitsune, she new Sango would be upset. Honestly she could completely agree on why Inuyasha got annoyed with him so much. He was rude, annoying, loud, and smelled like shit most of the time. He was most definitely not one of the most pleasant creatures to be around. Yet that human girl Kagome somehow managed to let him sleep with her! How could she possibly do it? The cat often wondered if the humans had no sense of smell, because often times the stench would drive her and Inuyasha both right out of the camp.

No one knew this, but the truth was, her and Inuyasha spent a lot of time together. She needed her space from the devil creature, while Inuyasha needed his from the rest of the group. On several occasions she would pretend to go out hunting, but really she went to some secluded area with Inuyasha to spend some quiet time. Although he wasn't the brightest of demons, she knew that Inuyasha could be trusted and she felt as though he were family. A few times in battle he had even saved her from certain death if not severe injury, and for that, she was thankful. She missed him, and their little private walks. She didn't realize until now how much everyone actually depended on him. He offered all of them protection, Kagome and him were very close, and he was more or less a father to the little demon. Who knows… maybe he would return one day? I mean, she didn't sense his death… so where had he gone off to?

Kirara was nearing the wolf den and began to swoop down. She had a little something planned for the kit, and he wasn't going to like it one bit. She smirked as she suddenly morphed into her smaller size and landed in a tree, and then watched the little fox fall to the earth. She laughed her ass off when she hopped down and saw that he was furious at her.

"Kirara, why on earth did you do that?"

"Meow…" 'Because you annoy the living hell out of me stupid fox!'

Kirara went over and licked the kit's wound in an attempt to show her guilt and apology to Shippo. He just brushed it off like it was an accident and they continued on foot to the den. Secretly behind his back Kirara was trying not to fall on the ground with laughter after seeing him look so stupid. It was truly a wonderful thing to witness.

_With the others:_

Sango had returned with the water and she gave it to Miroku to put over the fire. After that she went back into the hut to sit down and rest for a while. Of course before doing so, she had to warn the monk that if she caught him doing anything while she was asleep then she would castrate him. He had a few thoughts on that;

'Holy fuck! Would she really do that? I mean holy shit! That's pretty crazy…'

Nevertheless, if it was true or not, which is wasn't, he still didn't want anything to happen to him. So he most definitely decided to back off.

Everything was now set for the ritual, so now all they needed was Kagome. Hopefully Shippo and Kirara would find her fast and come back soon. They only had until mid-day tomorrow after all, and if they missed this, there would be no other opportunities. It was quite odd that Kagome disappear, and with everything that the girl had gone through, they sort of figured she would be with them at all times. Her not being here must have meant something bad had to have happened.

"Miroku, If thee others are not back in an hour can ye go off and look for them?"

"Yes I will, but I will not be able to move very fast seeing as how Kirara has already been sent off."

"Very well, but ye should look anyway."

"I will."

_Back with Kirara and Shippo:_

The two stouts walked up to the den and sneaked past Ginta and Hakkaku who were apparently getting ready to leave. They kept going and slipped through the den looking for Koga. Luckily for them many of the other wolves were either asleep or not even there. When they finally found Koga the sight before them was rather unexpected…

* * *

Well Merry Christmas and Happy holidays to everyone!! I made this chapter a bit longer for you all so I hope you all review and tell me what you think about it. 

I love cats, I have 3, and I thought it would be funny to have Kirara have a bit of a human personality to her... just and idea, so tell me if you liked it.

And sorry that it's always a cliff hangar, it's just better that way, because then it intises more reviews and makes you guys want to read more, which in turn, will make me write more... :)


	23. Life and Death

Well I guess I've been forgetting to put these in every few chapters…

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, but I do posses the rights of this story and the characters Aiko, and Ryuu (the characters, not the names).

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**Life and Death**

_Last time:_

_As she glanced up once more, she noticed a blurred bark figure that was slowly approaching her…_

_Now:_

Aiko woke up in a warm bed with bandages placed on her arms and legs from when she fell and hurt herself. She had no idea what was going on, but she needed to find some help. The last thing she remembered was seeing a dark figure approach her. They must have saved her and taken her somewhere. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, focusing on her surroundings.

"You're up."

"Uh-huh, where am I?"

"You are in the village, and who might you be?"

"Uh… where's Inuyasha? Is he okay? We need to help him!"

"Whoa, so down there. First off who is this Inuyasha character?"

"… a friend of mine."

"I see. And what is the problem?"

"Well…"

Aiko explained as much as she could to the odd looking stranger. She didn't know if he could be trusted yet, so she wasn't going to give out any important information to him; nothing that he would be able to use against her later. That's the one thing she was told constantly from her mother, never tell anyone anything about you. Don't mention anything such as names, places, or events that were going to happen. Names would certainly get you in trouble, and if you released and events, then they would know where to find you next. If you mention no places or events, they wouldn't know how to get back to you. It was pretty much a good idea to keep your mouth shut as a matter of fact.

The shady figure was a man, he was probably around 6'3'' and he looked quite muscular. He had broad shoulders and a neck that was as thick as a log. He had unusually large hands and his skin was a darker shade than most. He didn't have on normal robes; his were all black with a dark hood at the top. The robe went all the way down to the floor and covered every inch of his body. It looked as though he did a lot of physical labor for most of his life. He had a deep voice and he talked with seriousness, and his tone was gruff and dark.

That's what Aiko was most confused about. If they were in Hell, then why were there so many different types of people? Some were nice and gentle, while others were harsh and cruel. If this was really Hell, shouldn't everything be evil and bad? Then again her mother had once told her that it was more like another universe instead of a place of eternal damnation. How she would escape? Who knew… but the thing she did know was that she didn't want to be alone, so she needed to find Inuyasha some help before it was too late.

That was another completely confusing matter… if they were in Hell, or a different dimension or something, what would happen if you died? You obviously wouldn't _go_ to Hell because they were already there… right? Maybe you could go to heaven, but then the question comes up as to why you were sent here in the first place. It was all just a bit too much for her brain to handle, so she would just concentrate on finding aid for Inuyasha.

"Could you help my friend?"

"What is it that you need help with?"

"Getting my friend medical attention."

"I see… this Inuyasha; he is a half-demon, correct?"

Now this was alarming… she never revealed any names, so how could he possibly know who Inuyasha was? Maybe he was some evil spirit or something. But no matter, she needed his help nonetheless; if Inuyasha was dying then there was really nothing to lose at this point.

"There is no need to lie to me Aiko. I know who you all are."

"But… how?"

"Shall we get going then?"

Aiko left the small hut and began to run back to where she had last been with Kikyo. She didn't know how far the priestess may have gotten, so she decided to head to the village and work her way back from there.

_With Kikyo:_

Kikyo had gotten only about a quarter of a mile before she collapsed from exhaustion. Inuyasha was heavy, and she didn't have enough strength left in her to do much more. Kikyo sat on the ground with her legs crossed and then laid Inuyasha's head in her lap. She gently stroked his cheeks as she began to reminisce about when they first met. They were so foolish; if they were truly in love then they would have both noticed that they had been deceived by Naraku. She was mad at herself for not sensing that. But needless to say, when she was around him, she would lose some of her sense and become less focused on everything else. It was almost as if he was her weakness; and if you put it that way, then she was his as well. Now everything is changed. She lost her soul and made Inuyasha's life miserable. That's what she thought she wanted, revenge, but what was it even for? For him betraying her? She did the same to him. They were both to blame equally, but either way it was in the past and she needed to move on. He found someone else to love again. She was happy for that and wanted to give him a second chance.

"Ka-Kagome?"

"Yes… it's me Inuyasha, I'm here." 'Well why not play along?'

"Kagome… why are you here?"

"I came here to be with you."

"But you were supposed to move on with your life, and forget about me. I don't deserve to be a part of your life anymore. You shouldn't have to worry about me."

"Why not Inuyasha? I love you, and I want to be with you."

"hehe.. No you don't. Who would want to be with me? I don't deserve to be with anyone. All I do is cause pain. I hurt you, I hurt Kikyo… I'm a disgrace to my family. Why should anyone care about me?"

"What did you ever do to Kikyo?"

"I betrayed her. I thought she did the same to me, but in the end I realized that it was my fault."

"No, it wasn't your fault."

"I never should have tried to get involved with her in the first place. I knew it was a bad idea, but the way she saw past the fact that I was a hanyou… it made me feel things. I felt loved, and I felt like I had a place in this world… but I shattered that dream along with hers as well. That is why I don't deserve love."

Kikyo was crying now, she could hold back the tears that poured from her soul. So he thought it was his fault, he thought he was to blame for everything? That he was the only one that betrayed their trust? He was the one to ruin their lives? No it was not him… it was her.

'No Inuyasha, it's my fault that all of this has happened. And it is my fault that you are here now. I wish I could take it all back now, give you everything that you lost. You do deserve life; more than anyone else in this world. You have helped so many people, yet you still are abused and mistreated by so many. Nothing you have done should make you shameful, nothing you have done has ever been wrong. It takes more courage and heart for you to do that than anyone else. No one realizes the torment you have gone through in your life. No one else has experienced what you have in your life. I should be the one to blame, not you.'

"Listen… Kagome, before I go… I have a favor to ask."

"Anything…"

"There is this girl in the village," Inuyasha coughed up some blood, "she doesn't belong here. I ask that you take her with you and take care of her. I don't want her to have to live the life that I did."

"Don't worry Inuyasha; you'll make it through this. I know you will."

Kikyo heard something in the bushes behind her, and when she turned around Aiko came flying out and full speed. She tried to stop, but the kid was moving so fast she ran straight into a tree. After Aiko regained her composure, she jumped over to Inuyasha's side.

"Inuyasha, I got help for you. You're going to be ok… Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha opened an eye to look at the girl that stood above him. He smiled at the thought that she would be able to live a normal life without any of the problems he had to face. He just hoped that somehow she would be able to make it back to earth.

"Kikyo… I want you to do that spirit thingy, or whatever it's called. Just make sure Aiko makes it back to earth where she belongs."

'Wait… I thought that he thought that I was Kagome… did he know it was me the whole time?'

Before Kikyo could answer a dark figure appeared behind them, scythe in hand. He walked over to where Inuyasha lay and starred at him. Inuyasha could feel a cold dark presence wash over his body; it was almost as though death was calling out to him. The man raised his blade and in one swipe he drove it into Inuyasha's chest. It wasn't a painful feeling really, it was actually quite soothing. All the pain seemed to go away and he was thrown into a vortex of spinning colors. Was he truly dead now? What was going on?

After Inuyasha's body disappeared the hooded man turned to Aiko and slashed through her torso, making her vanish into thin air. Kikyo sat there, alarmed and horrified. She had no idea what happened or how it really happened. The shady character motioned for her to stand and follow him. Without a single thought she did as she was told and walked away with him.

Inuyasha woke to the sounds of birds peeping and the leaves on the trees rustling in the wind. He was lying on soft grass, and felt… pretty good. Maybe he did die after all. As he sat up, he surveyed his surroundings. He had never seen this place before, but he had the sense that he knew where he was. It was different from where he was before; there was no longer the feeling of evil lurking behind every bush or tree. He felt… as if he was home...

* * *

Freakishly confusing aint it?? You'll figure out later... Well, I hope everyone was pleased with this chapter of Into the Depths of Hell, I sure hope you did. So in any case, if you liked it or not I would still appreciate a review from all of you. I would be happy with just a couple, but if everyone reviewed than I would be completely overjoyed and post my next chapter, which is complete by the way. Sorry about the long wait, but I was in Michigan visiting family and I never really got any internet access for a week! So I wasn't able to post anything, talk, or respond to any new reviews… I did however manage to write up three chapters! The drama really starts to heat up in the next one… I hope you're ready. 


	24. A Sad Reunion

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

**A Sad Reunion**

_Last time:_

_When they finally found Koga the sight before them was rather unexpected…_

_Now:_

The cave was dark and murky. It was a series of tunnels winding in and out in every different direction, and little crevices here and there that the wolves would sleep in. At the end if the main chamber was, of course, the princes quarters. That's where they figured they would find Kagome.

Shippo and Kirara both tip toed around sleeping wolves and when they made it to the end Shippo tugged on the curtain that was covering Koga's room. There, lying in the center was Koga sleeping peacefully. But what disturbed them was that he was not alone. Kagome was safely nestled in his firm grasp. His arms were wrapped around her small body. She was half nude from the waist up, and she had a smile on her face and was sleeping quite serenely.

Shippo and Kirara stood in shock as their mouths dropped to the floor in bewilderment. Shippo nearly gagged and ran for the exit with Kirara close on his tail. As they were running many of the other wolves began to wake up. The two demons ignored the angry canines and burst out into the daylight where they stopped to catch a breath. Shippo started to talk… not to anyone really, he was just venting his frustration,

"Why, Kagome! Why did you go and do this… I don't get it, I thought you loved Inuyasha? How could you so easily give up on him after everything he's done for you?"

Kirara transformed and helped the petrified kitsune on top of her, and then she took off for Keade's village. This wasn't going to be good… not good at all.

_With the others:_

Miroku was waiting patiently under a tree carving in a piece of bark with the sharp end of his staff; while Kaede checked to see it the ritual was set. Sango was just getting up from her little nap and ventured outside to see what was going on. It was nearly mid-day, and time was about to run out.

"MONK! Where is Kagome?"

As the sound waves blasted Miroku's ears, he shot up off the ground and stood at attention,

"Well my dear Sango… I was-"

"GO FIND HER!"

Miroku shrank back in fear and then took off as fast as he could into the forest. After a little while he came across a dead yukai and some of Kagome's torn clothing. He began to contemplate if she was kidnapped and taken away… but why would there be giant lizard remains at his side. As he thought this over he noticed out of the corner of his eye, Kirara and Shippo flying over him.

"Hey!! Guys, down here!!"

The two landed with a soft thud and walked up to the monk. Their faces were worn and they had sad remorseful expressions that could be seen in their eyes. Kirara slumped to the ground and Shippo walked up to Miroku with tears running down his face.

"Mir… Miroku…"

The monk knelt down next to the kit and placed a hand to his shoulder,

"What is it Shippo? Is it about Kagome? Is she okay?"

"Y- Yeah… she's ok… but…"

Miroku's face went serious, "But what?"

"She is with Koga now."

"What do you mean 'with Koga now'?"

"I mean she left us! She left Inuyasha! She doesn't want to be around us anymore!"

"Now THAT I do not believe; Kagome would never betray us, and definitely not Inuyasha!"

Shippo tried suppressed more tears that were beginning to fall,

"It's true… we saw it."

"What did you see?"

"They… were sleeping together… Kagome was half naked and so was he…"

Miroku jumped up with a startle and then his eyes bulged out of their sockets and rolled across the ground, his mouth hung open and he nearly fainted.

"She looked so happy; she _was_ happy… she doesn't want to be with us anymore…"

Miroku once again knelt down to Shippo, but this time he put both hands on his shoulders and shook him a little,

"Are you absolutely positive that's what you saw?"

Shippo only nodded and even Kirara walked up and hung her head low as a sign that it was the truth; shameful, but the truth. Miroku lowered his head, and murmured some curses under his breath. After that he looked back up with sad eyes,

"Ok. Let's go back then. We'll have to call of the ritual."

_Last time __with__ Inuyasha:_

_He felt… as if he was home…_

_Now:_

Inuyasha stood up and walked around for a while. The feeling was weird; it was almost as if he felt more alive than he was before. Everything around him was noticeably dissimilar. The birds, the wind, the way the grass under his feet softened with each step. The sky looked like another world, far away, just beyond his reach. Each cloud was individually shaped, and morphed with precision. His soft silver hair flowed with the wind, brushing across his face and whispering in his ear. It whispered life… home… belonging.

The half-demon walked on and continued his expedition in the direction of smoke that was in the distance. Thoughts were racing through his mind,

'Am I really home? Am I back on earth? How would I even tell? What if this is all just some trick and I am still in Hell?'

Even though he had every reason to doubt, something seemed to reach out to him, telling him that everything was alright. He was home and he was going to stay there.

_With Aiko:_

'Where am I? Am I dead?'

Aiko woke up in the middle of a field. There were animals running about all around her. The surroundings were so full of life; everything seemed more real than before. There was no longer the lingering sense of death and despondency. Her heart was filled with hope and yearning, she was overwhelmed with new emotions. Emotions she never felt before; emotions that she wanted to live off of, and grow off of. She was home…

The girl stood and brushed herself off. She cleared her throat and began to climb the small hill in front of her. When she got to the top, she stood up straight and looked at the vast countryside below her. Everything was beautiful and she felt like she was in a new world. Her eye caught on to something that was racing along the ground. It was red and moving at the speed of light…

'Inuyasha!'

_The rest of the gang:_

Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara all walked back to the village with sad mournful faces. They walked past the villagers without a single word. None of them wanted to talk, or to even think about anything that had happened. How could it even be possible? Why would Kagome go and do something like that? She betrayed Inuyasha; she betrayed herself. They wouldn't mind the fact if she liked Koga; but the thing that set them off is that Inuyasha finally admitted his feelings about her after so long. She pretty much gave up on him after he was out of the picture. The Kagome they had all grown to love would never do that. They thought she loved Inuyasha. After all, after his "death" she was so upset that they thought she wouldn't be able to move on. So how is it even possible for her to do something like this right when there was a chance to get Inuyasha back? Something had to be wrong…

"Miroku! What took you so long? It's nearly mid-day!"

"Sango… it's already too late."

"Wh- what happened to Kagome?"

"She… moved on."

"What are you talking about Miroku?"

After a bit of brief explaining, Sango had heard most of the story and she simply got up and walked away in tears. She didn't want to believe what they said, but the facts proved it. She wasn't only pissed that Kagome pretty much betrayed Inuyasha, but she went behind their backs to do it. She could have easily said no to the ritual, and left it at that. Now everyone had gotten their hopes up about seeing Inuyasha again, but now it was completely inane, their hopes had all been shattered. Sango walked amongst the trees, where she could sit down and reflect on what may have happened. No matter how much her mind told her she was wrong, she kept trying to find excuses as to why this would happen. She knew Kagome better than anyone; well anyone other than Inuyasha maybe, but nevertheless Sango realized that there was no way Kagome would go do something like this without warning. Sango was determined to figure out what could have possible gone wrong.

_In the Den:_

Kagome woke up in a state of bliss. She just had a dream that she was with Inuyasha again. She was asleep in his arms, just like she always used to be. He held her close and tight; protected her from the outside world. She could have sworn the dream was real. It felt like it was actually happening.

Her body was warm and she was leaning on something soft. Her skin was smooth and silky and she could feel herself pushing up against something else. Kagome was still in a bit of a daze when she looked up from her little human nest. After her vision cleared she saw it. She saw him. It was Inuyasha. Here in real life, in all of his magnificence standing before her. He had a solemn look on his face full of sadness and regret. He slowly walked up to her and looked down into her big eyes. Gold clashed with brown and for a split second Kagome felt a rush of electricity run through her body. She knew this wasn't a dream, somehow this was actually happening. He spoke softly, and gently. His voice was hoarse but still clear at the same time.

"Kagome…" he looked deep into her eyes, "I'm glad to see you are ok." One sigle tear ran down the side of his face, but he quickly wiped it off and turned around so she couldn't see him.

"Inu-"

While looking down at the ground and still facing away from her, he managed to choke back a desperate cry. He took a few steps forward and spoke softly, his voice was weak and broken.

"I'm glad to see that you've moved on as well. Not with whom I would have wanted, but I am happy for you. I told you to move on and you did, so I will accept that." 'There's nothing more I can do... no matter how much I may want to.'

After his quick speech he simply walked away. Nothing more, nothing less. He walked away and left her. Just as she was about to protest and run after him, she felt two arms wrap around her body, sending tingling sensations through her bare skin. She tilted her head to the side and saw Koga's face only about three inches from her own. Her eyes widened and choked on the lump that swelled up in her throat.

Here she was, half-naked, with Koga, in _his_ den, next to _his_ body. She screeched and jumped up at an instant, startling the wolf that was with her. She fell to her knees in a state of shock and starred at the cave wall…

'Oh dear God what have I done… what just happened?'

Koga sprang to his feet at attention and looked around for any intruders. When he realized it was just Kagome he began to speak,

"Ah my Kagome, it's so nice to see that you are up. I am so happy that you finally agreed to be my mate. You finally took my advice and left that stupid half-breed mutt, and came to me; a true demon with the power to make you happy."

'His what!!! His MATE!!!'

"You see, I found you the other day after a lizard yukai attacked you. Just before you were about to be torn to shreds, I came in and saved you. I was actually surprised that Inuyasha wasn't there to help you; but then again, he was never a very loyal flea bag. He never deserved you and he never even stood a chance of winning your heart."

Kagome was so overwhelmed at the moment that all of Koga's words seemed to pass through one ear and out the other. How could she have let this happen? Was Inuyasha really there to see it? If he was… then what would he think? She recalled the look on his face when he first laid eyes on her. She had seen so many mixed emotions; sorrow, guilt, remorse, longing, love, pain, and the worst of all… she sensed his broken heart. Everything that he had left had to have been shattered at the sight of her and Koga together. Any hope that he may have held onto was probably destroyed, and it was all her fault…

_With Aiko:_

Aiko ran down the other side of the hill as fast as her legs could take her. She stumbled a few times, but got back up and chased after the figure that was running into the forest. She knew she would never catch him. So when she stopped to take a breath she let out a soft scream. It wasn't very loud, but she knew that with his hearing, he would pick up on it in a matter of seconds.

_With Inuyasha:_

Inuyasha was racing through the forest after what he just saw. The sight of Kagome still being alive and well had his heart jumping for joy; but when he saw who she was with, his heart instantly died. He was crushed, heart-broken, destroyed. He had nothing left to give after that. He had hoped with his very being that he would be able to be with her again. He did remember telling her to move on without him, but that was because he thought he would never see her again. Now that he would have a chance, or had a chance rather, he was filled with hope that she might take him back. He was proved wrong, he _was_ wrong. He should have figured he was never good enough for her. That she could never love him back because he was just a hanyou. The thoughts were always on his mind, but somewhere inside he thought she was different.

'I told her to move on… I should be happy for her… I _am _happy for her. She has moved on and it's time I did to.'

He couldn't. Not after everything he went through. There was no way he would ever find happiness again. Not without her at his side. Somehow he thought that she always would be with him… guess not. Just when he thought there was absolutely nothing left for him to live for, he heard a soft cry. He recognized that voice…

"Inuyasha!" He heard the voice cry out.

'Aiko!'

He ran to the girl with a new hope that he may be able to live with himself. He had become attached to this girl, he felt like he was her father. As much as his ego wanted to deny it, he loved her as his own child. He wanted to take care of her; he wanted to give her the life he was never even offered to him as a child. Inuyasha ran to the little voice that was calling out to him. When he got there and saw that she was actually there, he knelt on the ground as she ran up to him. She jumped into his arms and hugged him with all of her might. He looked down and somehow managed to leak out a small smile. It was a weak and depressing smile, but there was just the slightest hint of happiness and hope to it.

* * *

Well there's another chapter complete. I don't know how much longer this story is gonna go, but I hope everyone is enjoying it. I get the feeling that it is getting boring and stupid to read… I hope I am wrong, but I'll let you be the judge of that. If you haven't noticed I have the lowest possible self-esteem a person can have. I always think my work isn't good enough, and that it always sucks… Review for me!!! 


	25. Mates

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, only this story and the characters I made up. Don't sue me!!

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

**Mates**

_Last time:_

_Any hope that he may have held onto was probably destroyed, and it was all her fault…_

_Now:_

Kagome stood there looking at Koga with a dumbfound expression on her face. How the hell could he do this to her? What did he do to her? If he touched her in anyway, there was gonna be one insane miko running about in the next few minutes. Kagome tried to calm down a bit and then cleared her throat,

"Koga, what exactly happened here?"

"I took you in after Inuyasha let you get hurt."

"Inuyasha never did anything!"

"Which is exactly my point; he never did anything to help you."

"Inuyasha never did anything wrong! What the hell did you do to me? What is all this talk about me being your mate?"

"You are my mate, Kagome."

"SINCE WHEN!!!!!"

"Since you agreed to it last night…"

"I never agreed to anything!"

Kagome ran out of the cave and headed into the woods. She was running as fast as she could, never looking back, moving forward. She wanted to forget everything, wipe it from her memory. Did she sleep with him? Had he already mated her? Inuyasha would be furious… then she remembered that God awful look of pain on his face when he saw her. She was just about to get him back in her life, finally be able to see him again, and be with him. Then Koga had to come in and ruin everything. If that never happened, she wouldn't be in this mess anyway. She should have let Inuyasha kill him one of those many times he came along and provoked one of their usual futile disputes. She always hated when the two fought like that; and she never paid any attention to Inuyasha's warnings about Koga wanting to get too close. She was to blind-sighted to realize that Koga actually wanted her for his own. Now that she knew that, she wished she had let Inuyasha kill him.

Kagome raced through the thick woodlands, ducking under branches and jumping over roots. She needed to get to Kaede's as fast as possible. If Inuyasha was really here, and saw her, he would probably go there. She was almost there, only a few more minutes and she would be able to explain everything; she hoped. Without looking up Kagome charged forward running right into something really, really hard…

_Last time with Sango:_

_She was going to figure out what went wrong._

_Now:_

Sango was walking through Inuyasha forest and thinking about her friend. She was thinking of all the possibilities that may have caused Kagome's rash actions. She had usually been the most conscientious out of all of them; there was no way she did this under her own consent. Just when an idea popped into her head, she ran straight into what seemed like a brick wall…

"Owww…" Sango fell to the ground with her arms wrapped around her head.

"Uhhhggg," Kagome slipped backwards after the collision and grabbed her skull with her hands.

The two girls were a bit dazed, but when they both came back to earth, they noticed each other and instantly encompassed one another in an embrace. Sango looked up and saw that Kagome had a few tears running down the side of her face,

"Koga… what did he do to you Kagome?"

"I…I don't know… He said something about us being mates, and then I took off."

"You never went with him willingly, did you?"

"No, of course not! Why would you think that?"

"Shippo and Kirara came back this morning after seeing you sleeping with Koga… They could only assume what you did."

Kagome burst into another rain of tears as Sango held her closer whispering in her ear that everything was going to be alright. Sango had helped her up off of the ground and now they were sitting on a log. Kagome cried into her friend's shirt and cursed under her breath.

"Sango, everything is ruined now… Inuyasha saw me with Koga and thought that we are together now."

"Well… wait… WHAT!!! You SAW Inuyasha!!!"

"Yes… didn't you do the ritual?"

"No… we needed you to do that. Are you sure you aren't just imagining things?"

"Yes, I'm certain it was him. I could sense his aura and everything."

"How could he have gotten back?"

"I don't know, but we need to find him."

_With Miroku:_

'God damn stupid old hag; she can't ever do anything on her own. She always makes me do all the work!'

_Flashback:_

"Miroku can you clean up the ritual stuff?"

"Yes Lady Kaede."

"Can you also get me a pail of water when you are done?"

"I'll get on it as soon as I can."

"Oh! And after that could you get some fire wood for tonight? Okay, thank you."

_End flashback:_

'She never does anything on her own! God I wish someone else got stuck with all these chores.'

Miroku was lost in his malevolent thoughts about how to get Kaede back for all the work he always had to do while he was walking along the river side looking for some clean spring water. The water up the river was murky and dull, it was not suitable for anything that she may need it for… then again; maybe he _should_ make it nasty. No, what if this water was for dinner later on? He couldn't take that risk. When he bent over to fill the bucket he saw something red fly across the sky not only fifty feet ahead of him.

'No… could it??'

_With Inuyasha and Aiko:_

Inuyasha was still fuming about what had happened earlier. He had talked about it, amazingly enough, to Aiko and she told him to simply follow his heart…

'What the fuck is that supposed to do? My heart says to shred Koga and take Kagome, but at the same time it tells me to give up and move on. I never stood a chance with her, and I don't have any reason to believe I do now. Right? She's happy with him now anyways…'

He was definitely quite befuddled and wasn't too sure on what actions to take. Figuring it would be best to seek out Miroku for some advice, he headed toward the village. Miroku was stupid and way to flirtatious, but he did know when to be serious about women… though that didn't happen too often for him.

Aiko walked in silence next to her "father," and thought about the new world she was brought into. Everything was so beautiful in her eyes. Each and every living creature and moving form of life was a gift, and she wasn't going to forget that. The sun shown bright in the sky and sheltered the earth with its unconditional warmth. Each cloud in the sky had its own unique shape to tell a story and create a little bit of magic for her. The trees swayed in the wind and whispered things to each other. The animals running around them, although not seen, were each a true gift of God, put on this planet for a reason. Those reasons were unknown to her, but she treasured each and every aspect of this new world. It was a world of love and life, happiness and sadness, good _and_ bad. It was a world of hardships and troubles, and a world for all people. Demons, humans, half-demons, and every other form of life; they were all equal in her eyes. That's what made her so special. That was what made Inuyasha like her so much. She was like a symbol of what the world should be, and what he hoped it would grow to be.

Inuyasha was still walking while Aiko was following close behind. He could tell she was getting a little weary because her pace began to slow down. After a few more minutes he scooped her up and leapt into the air. He was flying over trees and homes, soaring through the sky with the gentle breeze pressing against them. His hair was flowing rapidly behind his and brushed against Aiko's face. It tickled her nose and she let out a small laugh. When she turned her head to the side to avoid the soft strands, she noticed a man standing at the riverbank to their left. She tapped Inuyasha on the shoulder after they made their decent and motioned with her hand for him to proceed in that direction.

_Back with Miroku:_

Was it really possible? They never completed the ritual; hell, they never started it! How could it be? This didn't make the least bit of sense… Miroku steadily grabbed his staff, dropped the bucket and strolled in the direction of the red blur that he'd noticed. He came into a clearing just beyond some large evergreens and stepped out into the open. He shielded his eyes from the bright sunlight and squinted to see what lay ahead of him. Walking towards him was… Inuyasha?

"How's it going monk?"

"…"

"What? Are you surprised to see me?"

"…"

"Feh' I'll take that as a yes. Listen I need your help with something."

"Uhhh… ummm… Inuyasha? Is that really you?"

Inuyasha knocked the monk on the head,

"Yes it's me you moron, now pull yourself together!"

"How…how… uhhh… how did you return?"

"Ummm well, actually we don't really know ourselves how that worked out…"

"_We_?" Miroku had a quizzical expression across his face.

Aiko stepped out from behind Inuyasha so she was now visible to the monk. She was a beautiful young girl and had an amazingly pure aura emitting around her body. Miroku thought this was very extraordinary seeing as how a child her age shouldn't even have developed an aura this soon in her life. He could tell right off the bat that something about her was very special.

"Well hi there. What's your name? I'm Miroku." He talked slowly and clearly for her to understand. Then he was hit on the head again by Inuyasha's fist.

"She not that young dumbass, she's smart, so you don't need to talk like a moron… she's probably more intelligent than you anyway."

Miroku grinned as he stood back up to Inuyasha's level. He walked a bit closer and when he did Aiko took a few steps back, and hid behind Inuyasha. He quirked an eyebrow showing his confusion; Inuyasha just rolled his eyes and the dumb monk,

"She's just a little shy… plus I highly doubt any children would be very safe around you."

"What's that supposed to mean!"

"Never mind… so can you help me or not?"

"What do you need help with?"

"Removing a mate's mark…" Inuyasha's ears drooped down and he looked at the ground.

After hearing those words Miroku's mouth dropped to the floor with a thud. He stood there for a little bit as one thought came to him,

'Kagome…'

_Back with Koga:_

'Damn that crazy bitch! Doesn't she know what's best for her? I am what is best for her, not that filthy half-breed. Looks like I'll just have to take him out of the picture. Yeah that's it; I'll kill him once and for all.'

* * *

Sorry it's so damn short, but I couldn't think of anything else to fit into this chapter… please review now!! 


	26. Koga's Plan

Before everyone starts bitching or complaining, I will state this here and now. In this chapter the band of seven is introduced. They are not with Naraku and they don't even know who he is. They were reborn after he died and they essentially started over. They don't have jewel shards, but they still have their powers. So I don't want to hear anything about it!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the other characters besides Aiko and Ryuu.(Note: When I say I own them, I do not mean the names… I mean the idea and traits that I put into the character).

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

**Koga's Plan**

_Last time:_

_'Looks like I'll just have to take him out of the picture. Yeah that's it; I'll kill him once and for all.'_

_Now:_

Koga was lazy and he knew that Inuyasha could easily beat him. So he was going to get someone else to do his dirty work for him. Yeah that's it! He was going to higher one of those traveling mercenaries.

Koga walked out of his den after leaving a few of the other wolves in charge. He wasn't sure what happened to Ginta and Hakkaku, but he didn't really trust them to do a good job anyway. Hakkaku had never been the most trustworthy friend, but he was too stupid to do anything against Koga, or so he had thought. Ginta was pretty similar, except he could be used to do whatever Koga wanted. He was too afraid to disobey, so it was just too easy for Koga to manipulate into doing his dirty work. The only problem was that for some reason or another, when the two were together they managed to gain some sense. Who knew putting two morons together would make them both smart? That made no sense…

The wolf demon headed out towards the small village that was in a secluded area just beyond the Southern mountains. No one ever really went there because rumors said that anyone who lived there was either some sort of x- assassin, or a convict, or murderer… so why would anyone want to travel there? People that pass by never stop there to eat or sleep; their too damn scarred to even look in the direction. If some poor traveler wanders in there… they most likely aren't gonna be coming back out.

Koga was a demon though. He had nothing to worry about; he could take on all of them. Even if he did get into some trouble, he knew that he was fast enough to high-tail it out of there in no time. Even without his jewel shards, there still wasn't anything around that could possibly out run him. All of the running he did with the shards must have simply gotten his legs into better shape.

_With Hakkaku and Ginta:_

The two wolves headed down the side of the mountains that were just east of the den. They were planning on finding Inuyasha so they could tell him where Kagome was. They both liked Inuyasha and Kagome a lot, and they didn't want anything to happen to them. Although Inuyasha and Koga were pretty much mortal enemies, the two wolves thought of the half demon as a friend. Neither of them could even stand Koga. He was always so ignorant and rude to them. He treated them both like dirt, and could care less about what the ever had to say. So why again are they still in his pack?

"Hey Hakkaku, have you ever thought about leaving the pack? You know, just taking off and starting a new one?"

"Yeah, I think of it all the time; especially when Koga yells at me. it would be nice to be respected for once."

"What if we joined Inuyasha's group?"

"Ginta… you can't be serious… why on earth would they let us do that?"

"Yeah good point… I guess it's a lost cause. We are in Koga's pack after all."

After a few hours of wandering, Ginta and Hakkaku found the village in which that lady priestess resided… _Kaede_, was it?

_With Koga:_

After the long climb up the side of the mountain Koga finally found the small village where the outcasts of society lived. He walked up to the front gates leading into the town and instantly felt evil dark auras surrounding him. as he ventured further in he came across many of the demons that lived there. They were all hideous looking, and he could tell why they were here. Either they were famous bandits, convicts, blood-thirsty demons, or just plain outcasts. Koga was looking for a group of assassins known as the Band of Seven. It consisted of seven very strong demons, and they were known to never have lost a battle in their lives. They used to work for Naraku when he was alive, but then when he died they were… free to do whatever they wanted.

Koga walked slowly and carefully, trying not to make any contact with the strange things looking at him. He'd be better off if he did as little interacting as possible. You didn't want to get on anyone's bad side in this village, because if you did… well you wouldn't ever live to tell about it. Koga was getting weird stares and evil grins from everyone around. Some tried to talk to him, but he simply ignored them and moved on.

A she approached the giant tent at the back wall of town, a very large demon stepped out from inside. Koga had to look up at this demon; he was so tall and massive that the wolf had to strain his neck to look at his face.

"What do you want?" asked the demon in a low booming voice.

"I…" Koga cleared his throat, "I am Koga, and I have come on business. I am here to hire the Band of Seven to kill someone for me."

"Pathetic demon… what is this one person too tough for you?" The large man grumbled a bit and then began to talk again, "Very well, but we don't do this for free you know."

Koga held up a small bag of gold coins and gestured towards them, implying that he had more than enough money.

"Come in. I am Kiokotsu; follow me to meet my brothers, and we will talk business."

Koga followed the giant into the tent and was lead into a back room. It was a large room, with a tall ceiling. It must have been separated from the rest of the tent so it could be taller. There was a large table in the middle and a few chairs around it. Along the outskirts of the room were more chairs and a few miscellaneous weapons that lay on the ground. In one of the corners he noticed an enormous halberd propped up against a cannon. It was no ordinary cannon though, it seemed smaller and… portable? The weapon was extremely huge; bigger than the transformed Tetsuaiga. The handle was gilded down to the end and had small blade that curved into the shape of a crescent moon. The blade was long and sharp, most likely strong enough to slice through any metal. Next to that, there was a small box of random silver things. Koga wasn't sure what they were, but he knew they blew up for some reason. He didn't get how it was possible, but he had seen it before.

"Please sit."

Koga obeyed the command and say down at the table across from the larger one at the other end, probably were their leader sat. The chair across from him was purple and looked like some sort of silk or leather. Everything in the room seemed to be pretty expensive, so either they stole a lot, or they were paid quite often for their… services.

"Wait here until master Bankotsu arrives."

"Yes sir."

Koga waited patiently in the small cushioned chair. A few more of the assassins walked into the room and sat down at the table. They all introduced themselves but never asked any questions. Koga figured it was for Bankotsu to do that. He waited patiently, not wanting to make any of them mad. He was beginning to get irritated from the long wait, but he remained silent so he wouldn't mess anything up.

"Hello. Is there a reason for you coming here demon?"

Koga looked up and saw a tall rather hefty; he had on white leggings and a purple button up shirt. His hair was down in the back tied in a ponytail, and his eyes held a dark forbidding feeling to them.

"Hi. My name is Koga, and I am-"

"I don't recall asking for your name."

"…"

"If you are here for us to kill some pathetic demon or group of humans than you should leave right now. You are a demon yourself, so you should have no problem on your own. Also if I see correctly you are a wolf-youkai, so you should have a pack to do these types of things."

"…"

"You may speak. What is your name and reason for seeking our services?"

"My name is Koga, and I am here to ask for you to kill a demon. I cannot because he is my mate's former… friend, and she would not forgive me if I were to kill him."

Like hell Koga was gonna tell them that he couldn't take on the stupid half-demon. Sure he was a little faster than Inuyasha, but he wasn't nearly strong enough to simply over power him. Inuyasha wasn't too smart, but when it came to fighting his ingenuity would take over, leaving a fearless warrior to battle. Then there were those few times when he saw Inuyasha… transform. It was like nothing he had ever seen in his life. How was it possible for Inuyasha to become full demon in the blink of an eye? Koga knew he wouldn't even be a workout or the hanyou if he managed to change into a full demon. Koga saw what happened the last time… Inuyasha had transformed and nearly killed Sesshomaru…

"This demon; what is his name, and what type of demon is he? Where will we find him?"

"His name is Inuyasha, and he's an inuhanyou. You will find him near-"

"Hanyou… are you telling me you cannot kill a mere half-demon?"

"Well… he stronger than any demon I've seen. He nearly killed the great lord of the western lands."

"Sesshomaru? Interesting…"

"Where do we find this half-demon?"

"In or near the village of the priestess Kaede."

_With Inuyasha and Aiko:_

Inuyasha was walking along the edge of a stream, pondering what Miroku had told him the other night.

_"I believe the only way to remove a mates mark is to kill him. That or you'll need to have him remove it… which isn't going to happen."_

Could he really do that? Would he have the will or strength to kill Koga? He would have a lot to think over in the next few days. Suddenly Aiko, who was on his shoulders, leaned too far to the left and then…

* * *

Well I can't say how sorry I am for the enormously rediculous wait that you had to endure. On my befalf I must say that I was busy with projects, homework, and stress. I also had quite a cunundrum of writers block...

By the way... the thing I put up, InuyashaxAiko, is just a father daughter relationship...

Once again I am sorry and I will try to get back on schedule updating weekly. Please forgive me!

NOW THEN I may have told many of you this already... but honestly I don't remeber. I have a few new story ideas posted on my profile page. I don't know if any of them are going to become stories, but if enough people vote for one, I will surely write it! PM me and tell me if you want me to write one.. or more. I will tally up to "votes," if thats what you want to call them, and decide which goes first.


	27. Predictions of a Miko

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

**Predictions of a Miko**

_Last time:_

_Sango- "How could he have gotten back?"_

_Kagome- "I don't know, but we need to find him."_

_Now:_

After Kagome had thoroughly informed Sango of everything that she knew, the two began to walk back to the hut. They could only hope that they would be able to find Inuyasha fast enough before he did something stupid and reckless. He was very dangerous when he was angry and Kagome knew that he might hurt someone, or himself. They had known Inuyasha to act upon his emotions, not talk about them. When he was angry, he killed a demon or a few trees. If he was sad, then he would completely seclude himself from everyone and mope around all day. And when he was happy… well that last day he was happy, and he sure showed it then; laughing and playing with everyone.

The one thing that utterly confused Kagome was that when Inuyasha found her… he hardly said a word. He didn't barge in and demand her to return to him. He didn't head straight for Koga and slay him on the spot. He didn't even raise his voice. Had what he said been true? That she moved on, and that's what they both wanted? That's what he wanted? No, that couldn't be it… could it?

"Sango… do you think Inuyasha doesn't want to be with me now that he saw me with Koga?"

"I highly doubt that Kagome; he would never give up on you, and you know that."

"But he even said that I was supposed to move on… he said that he was happy that I 'moved on,' and he accepted it."

"Maybe he was just caught up in the moment and didn't know what to say."

"That's not it… I saw truth in his eyes… truth, pain, care, sorrow and regret… I just don't get it."

"We will figure this out soon Kagome, don't worry; I promise."

After a short walk, the two girls found themselves back at the village and were strolling back to the hut, but when they got there it was empty. No one was there. No Miroku, no Shippo or Kirara. Kaede wasn't there either. They decided to make some dinner and wait for everyone to arrive. Sango insisted that Kagome lay down for a while and take a rest. After a few persistent attempts, the miko finally caved into the slayer's wishes and dozed off.

The sun was bright in the sky sending soft rays of light that blanketed the earth. It was warm and pleasant. No clouds in the sky, nothing to disturb the peaceful auras that were floating around. The birds were chirping soundly, and the farmers were out harvesting the crop. There was a slight breeze that would cool your skin from the shimmering rays from the giant yellow star in the sky. Everything seemed perfect, almost too perfect.

A small rabbit hopped along the dirt pathway into the woods. It ran through the underbrush skipped slightly, swerving in and out, prancing around small obstacles. Jumping over roots and ducking under low plants. After a quick jump over a rock the bunny came to the edge of a cliff. The small animal dug its hind claws into the ground stopping right on the edge, knocking off a few small stones.

There was a river at the bottom the valley, and it winded back and forth between the rocks and trees. It started off as a small stream but then after a while it formed into a river. Even further down rapids formed, and the rushing waters sped up, crashing against jagged rocks.

Then there was a scream as a girl felling not too far up stream. She was being pulled down towards the rapids at a very fast pace. She kept trying to scream for help, but when she opened her mouth water would pour in. She began to choke and flail around in an attempt to swim to the edge. The rapids got worse and soon she was pulled under water and tumbling towards her doom. The girl hit the bottom of the river and then slammed her head into a rock….

"Ahh!"

Kagome woke up and sprung up out of the cot she'd been resting on. Sango heard the crash and came rushing in to see what the matter was. Kagome was on the floor holding her head screaming in pain. She wasn't sure what had happened, but after she woke up she could feel her head pulsing. Her heart was pumping faster and faster, until she collapsed from pain.

"KAGOME," Sango yelled as she ran into the room, "Oh my God!"

"S-Sango… my head… it- it."

"Shhh, it's okay Kagome, I'm here."

Sango held onto her friend as she let her rest in her lap. She stroked Kagome's hair and whispered that everything was going to be okay. Sango was worried as hell though, and someone better get back to the hut before something else might happen.

After a few more minutes the pain had begun to subside and Kagome was sitting on the cot leaning against the back wall of the hut. Sango was in the other room getting some soup for her friend. When she came back in, Kagome was resting against the wall looking up out the window. It was bright and the sun was glimmering brightly over the village. She could feel the cool breeze flow in through the window, and she could hear the birds chirping back and forth….weird, just like the dream.

"Kagome… what happened?"

"…"

"Kagome!"

"Huh… oh, what?"

"I said, what happened to you? Did you have a bad dream or something?"

"I'm not sure; it was something like that… but it seemed different. When I woke up my head hurt and it felt like some of my spiritual power was drained."

"So… does that mean the dream means something?"

"It's possible."

"Well, what happened?"

"It was so vivid. The sun was bright, it was warm day, and the birds were talking back and forth…"

Sango and Kagome both turned their heads at the same time to glance out the window. Sure enough, it was sunny, no clouds, the birds could be heard over a slight breeze of the wind; everything was the same.

"Then do you think it could have been some sort of premonition?"

"I don't know Sango… but if it was then I we need to go help the girl."

"What girl? Explain what happened."

"There was a girl; she was small, maybe around eight years old. She was wearing a light blue kimono and had black hair down to her waist."

"And what happened?"

"Well, I wasn't really in the dream, but I could see it all happening. She was in a river and she was being pulled down stream. Ahead the rapids were getting really bad and there were a lot of rocks everywhere. Beyond that point it came to a huge waterfall, and then at the bottom there were more rocks… when she was pulled into the rapids she suddenly vanished underwater; and that's when I woke up."

"Are you sure that was the description of the girl?"

"Miroku, when did you get here?"

"Are you sure!"

"Yes, positive… why?"

"Shit!"

Miroku grabbed his staff that he had set down when he came in and he ran out of the hut at full speed. Sango and Kagome had no idea what was going on so they just decided to get up and follow. When the two got out of the hut they only caught a slight glimpse of Miroku flying off into the distance on Kirara.

_Last time w__ith Inuyasha and Aiko:_

_Could he really do that? Would he have the will or strength to kill Koga? He would have a lot to think over in the next few days. Suddenly Aiko, who was on his shoulders, leaned too far to the left and then…_

_Now:_

Inuyasha wasn't paying any attention and then he stumbled from the sudden shift of weight on his shoulders. He lost his balance and fell right into the water. When he came above the water he looked around frantically for Aiko, and to his relief she was perfectly fine. She was now laughing her ass off because Inuyasha was shaking himself like a dog in an attempt to get all of the water off of him.

"Come one Inuyasha, come back into the water! It's fun!"

"I think not… hey don't give me that face. Fine I'll stay in the damn water."

"Yay, doggie's gonna get all wet again!"

After only about five minutes Inuyasha was now chasing the girl around in the shallow waters, and splashing her like crazy. Finally after a while Inuyasha had enough and decided he would get out. He took off his shirt and wrung it out so it was dry again. When he had his back turned he didn't notice how far Aiko had drifted down stream.

"Daddy! Help m-"

Inuyasha whipped his head around and quickly scanned the river for any sight of the girl. He didn't see anything. Panicking, he ran as fast as he could downstream to find her. When she finally burst out of the water, she was already well into the dangerous part of the river and Inuyasha needed to act quickly. Without worrying about getting his shirt wet again, he dove into the water and swam as fast as he could.

Aiko could see underwater, and was trying her hardest to dodge all the rocks that she was being thrown into. She was beginning to run out of air because the whirlpools were sucking her under and preventing the girl from surfacing. When she opened her eyes again she could faintly recognize Inuyasha swimming towards her.

The two burst out of the water and gasped for air, as Inuyasha was doing his best to swim against the raging current. He placed Aiko in front of him against his chest with his arms wrapped around her small body. With every rock that would come up, he would position himself so his back would hit the rock, leaving the girl unharmed. Inuyasha gasped in pain as a sharp end of a rock stabbed him in the back and then another made a deep gash in his side.

When he looked ahead, the only thing he could see was only getting worse. Judging by the distance they've gone, and the formations of the currents, they would be approaching a nice big waterfall in a few more minutes. He had to do something to get Aiko out of the water, but what could he do? All of the rocks were too slippery to grab onto and it was too deep for him to reach the bottom and push out of the water. Soon it would be too late and they would fall to a certain death…

_With Miroku:_

Miroku was racing through the forest as fast as he could, and on a giant cat demon, it definitely helped his pace. He was hoping that nothing had happened to Inuyasha or Aiko, after all, if Kagome's predictions were right, then they might not live through this. Miroku patted Kirara on the head and leaned forward, indicating that he wanted her to go faster. Kirara didn't know what was happening, but she did realize that it was something bad. She hurried her pace and weaved in and out of the trees.

The cat burst through the trees literally knocking over a few in the process. Miroku looked around and saw that small river in the distance. After a few minutes they arrive at the water and were charging downstream to find Inuyasha.

Inuyasha was being thrashed around in the water, and he was doing his best from keeping Aiko from hitting in to one of the rocks. In one giant push, he managed to heave himself up on one of the rocks. The two had time to catch their breath, but once the waters hit them again they were thrown right back in to the whirlpool.

Inuyasha looked up, and for once in his life he couldn't have been happier to see Miroku flying towards him. He silently thanked the gods for sending him for their rescue. Miroku was riding on Kirara's back, staff in hand, and gaining on them.

The water was getting deeper and they were going to be thrown over the waterfall in a matter of seconds; Inuyasha knew that there wouldn't be enough time to save them both, so with all the strength he had left in him, he threw Aiko out of his arms up in the air. Miroku swooped down just in time to catch her on top of Kirara. With the edge of the waterfall only moments away Miroku leaned forward and stretched out his staff, praying that Inuyasha would be able to grab it…

_With The Band of Seven:_

They had been traveling for a good part of the day now, and a few of them needed to take a rest. The band of seven had set out early in the morning, under the orders of Koga, in an attempt to catch up with Inuyasha and his gang by the next night. They were making good time, and had the luxury of being able to lounge around for a few hours. Bankotsu wasn't sure why, but Koga had persisted that they be there at nightfall, and not a moment too soon. Koga said Inuyasha would be less of a threat if they attacked him on this one night; that he would be defenseless against their attacks. Bankotsu didn't like the idea of attacking while an enemy was weak, he like them to put up a good fight, and have it last a little while… but this wasn't what they were getting paid for, so he had no room to argue.

* * *

I don't know how well this chapter was written, but hopfully most of you like it. I am open for any constructive critizism as well as other comments, so make sure you all review to make me feel better!

HEY PEOPLE dON/T FORGET!!!  
I have made new story ideas and I still need people to tell me if any of them are good or not! So PM or email me and I will write my next story depending on what you guys pick... If you want me to write another that is...lol


	28. Under a New Moon

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

**Under a ****New**** Moon**

_Last time:_

_With the edge of the waterfall only moments away Miroku leaned forward and stretched out his staff, praying that Inuyasha would be able to grab it…_

_Now:_

Miroku had extended his staff as far as his arm would take it, but just before Inuyasha grabbed hold of it, he was pulled over the falls. Aiko, Miroku, and Kirara were searching for nearly an hour, and couldn't find any traces of their friend.

"Aiko, I think it's time we go… he either survived and is somewhere further down stream; or he didn't make it and he is at the bottom of the waterfall.

"NO! He has to be alive!"

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing more we can do right now."

After a bit more pleading and consoling, Miroku finally got the girl to listen to him and they began to head back to the village.

_With Kagome and Sango:_

Sango and Kagome had chased the monk for a good half-a-mile, but then they eventually gave up on the futile pursuit.

"I swear, I'm gonna beat that damn monk senseless once I get my hands on him!"

"Now I'm sure there was some sort of reason for him to run off like that…"

"Yeah, I suppose you're right, but I'm still gonna kick his ass!"

"Well, here he comes now."

When Sango looked up she saw the monk walking towards them with Kirara. When she looked a little closer she could see that there was a small child on Kirara's back as well. Kagome and Sango quickly ran up to Miroku to find out what happened, and when they approached him he motioned for them to be quiet because the girl was sleeping.

Kagome observed the small girl before her; her breath hitched in her throat when she realized that it was the same girl from her dream. The girl had the same clothes, same hair, and her eyes were even the same, everything was identical down to the slightest detail. Kagome pulled Miroku off to the side of the path to talk to him about the situation.

"Miroku… this is the same girl from my dream?" It wasn't meant to be a question, but she was just so perplexed that that's how it came out.

"Yes… once I heard you describe her I knew that she was in trouble."

"So, it all really did happen?" Kagome glanced over to the girl and noticed that she had some bruises, she was wet, and over all she was a complete mess.

"Yeah, it was a close call but I managed to save her… Inuyasha on the other hand-"

"Inuyasha! You saw him? Where? When?"

"Well it's a rather long story, so I'll tell you when we get back to the village."

_With Inuyasha:_

Inuyasha woke up with a bone splitting headache; he felt as though someone hit him over the head with a lead pipe. He could almost hear his own brain throbbing and getting ready to burst with any sudden movement. As he began to slowly sit up, he clutched his sides in pain and fell right back to the ground and slammed his head on a rock.

The next time Inuyasha awoke, he looked around him and there was a camp fire in front of him. His outer Robes were placed out on the ground not too far away, and they were drying off quickly. He looked down and noticed that his leg, head, and left arm had all been bandaged up with tape. Then a deep voice brought him out of his current thoughts, and he looked to his left.

"I found you washed up in the riverbank… thought you could use a hand."

"Feh' I'm fine. I am not a stupid human!"

"I see that, but neither am I."

"You look human to me, and you don't even smell like a demon."

"There is a reason for everything, isn't there Inuyasha."

"What? How the hell do you know my name?"

The man just chuckled at the hanyou's words and tossed him a fish from over the fire. "Eat, you will need to regain your strength."

_The Band of Seven:_

The group had begun to travel again, and they were almost at the village. Koga had lent them two of the wolves from his pack so they could use them to track down Inuyasha.

"Damn wolves… they're fucking taking us in circles!"

"Calm down, I think they just picked up on his scent again. Let's go, we must be close."

The brothers all began to jog forward as the wolves began to pick up their pace. They had turned around and started going in the opposite direction of the village now, and they were headed straight for the falls.

_In the hut:_

Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Kaede, Shippo, and Aiko all sat around in a big circle inside the hut. There was going to be a lot of explaining to do. To start things off, Kagome wanted to know why everyone seemed to have run into Inuyasha other than her.

"So Miroku, how did you come across Inuyasha?"

"Well, the other day when I was carting my ass around all day doing all of _Kaede's_ work, I thought I saw Inuyasha out of the corner of my eye. I was bent over getting water for later when he jumped over me. Of course I was curious, so I decided to investigate."

"Just get to the point monk…"

"Of course Sango… well anyway, I went to see if my eye's had deceived me, but I had in fact seen Inuyasha in the flesh. I asked him how he managed to get back and he wasn't too sure; and then I asked him who she was," Miroku pointed at the girl sitting to his right. He looked at her and gave her a nod indicating that she should explain what she knew.

Aiko was still very shy, so she was sort of hiding behind Miroku at the time. She didn't trust him, but since he was Inuyasha's friend and he was the only person she was acquainted with, she had nowhere else to be.

"My name is Aiko…" Miroku gave her a little nudge to continue.

"I am Inuyasha's daughter."

At this comment everyone in the room, even Miroku, had nearly fainted at the girl's words. Everything was just way too confusing for them; to start off, their friend had been dragged down to Hell by a dead woman, resurrected for some reason or another, and now this little girl before them was claiming to be his daughter?

"What?" Everyone in the room said it at the same time, and under their direct gaze Aiko decided that it would be in her best interest to tell them everything she new.

_About twenty-five minutes later:_

After Aiko had finished her story about where she was from and how she met Inuyasha, the whole room was dead silent and everyone's mouths were slightly agape. After another good five minutes of silence Kaede broke the tension,

"Where is Inuyasha now?"

'Oh yeah… I never told them that story,' Aiko took a deep breath,

"I was playing in the water by the stream not too far from here, and then I got pulled in by the current. I tried to scream for da- umm… Inuyasha, but my voice was muffled from the water. He dove in after me and then saved me…"

Aiko couldn't finish; she began to cry and brought her knees up to her chest where she laid her head. As if on impulse, Kagome got up from her spot and went over to the sobbing girl. She knelt down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders. Aiko almost instantly relaxed from the young woman's touch and sniffled a bit as she rested her head on Kagome's shoulder. She wasn't sure why she'd done it, but Aiko had a feeling that she could trust the woman with her life.

"Well as Aiko was saying," Miroku began seeing as how the traumatized child could no longer continue, "Inuyasha was in the water and he was being sucked downstream towards the waterfall. He managed to toss Aiko up to me but then there wasn't enough time for him to be pulled up… then he went over the falls."

"We tried to find him… we really did," Aiko was crying through all of her words making them very hard to comprehend, "**I**t was too deep at the bottom of the waterfall and I couldn't find him anywhere."

"Don't worry Aiko," Miroku soothed, "Inuyasha is very strong; I'm sure he'll be up and out looker for you in no time."

"But there were so many jagged rocks at the bottom… there's no way anyone would have survived that…"

"Yes, no human; Inuyasha is part demon, so he should be healed within a day or two."

It wasn't like Kagome wanted to ruin the girl's hopes of seeing her "father" again, but she felt like she needed to get it out in the open,

"Miroku… are you saying that he is most likely injured?"

"Well judging by the bottom of those falls… I don't think any human would make it out al- OW!"

"Stupid monk, that's not helping her!"

"But Sango, I was only telling her the truth!"

Kagome spoke up again, "You don't understand… if Inuyasha is hurt then… well, tonight is the night of the new moon."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

Aiko looked around the circle and saw that everyone was stunned and not moving at all. She figured something had to be wrong, so in an attempt to get the group's attention she coughed a little.

Kagome looked over and realized that Aiko was perplexed beyond reason, so she decided to explain.

"You know that Inuyasha is a half-demon, right?"

"Yes I am aware of that."

"Well, Aiko, once a month on the night of the new moon Inuyasha becomes susceptible to his enemies. It is his one time each month where he can do nothing to protect himself because he turns human. He stays human through the wh**o**le night until the sun rises the next morning. He hates it a lot because he loses all of his demon powers…"

Aiko gasped a bit as she realized what Kagome was saying, "So that means he won't be able to heal from his wounds?"

Kagome looked down at the ground, and simply nodded with worry showing in her eyes. The whole group glanced out the window… about another hour till sundown…

_With Inuyasha:_

After Inuyasha ate his fish, he tried to stand on his feet and make his leave, but unfortunately for him the pain in his leg was too much and fell straight to the ground. He gritted his teeth and tried again to get up again. This time he managed to get up and walk a few steps before sitting on a nearby tree stump. He figured that he would be able to walk in a short while. Then he would be able to leave and look for Aiko. 

"You shouldn't be moving; your wounds will open up."

"I don't care… I need to go."

"No, you're staying."

"Hell I'm not! You don't understand my condition; I need to get out of here before…. Before."

'Shit, there's no way in Hell I'm going to tell him about me turning into human. If what he said was true, then that means he would surely kill me. He's a demon and can't be trusted!'

"Before what? Before you go mad and try to kill me?"

'I wish that was all it was…'

"No! It's just that… well."

"Well, well; you must be Inuyasha."

Inuyasha and the man looked to the right of the little secluded area right where the edge of the forest was. Inuyasha could sense some strong demons but his senses were beginning to fade away rapidly. From the depths of the ominous cover of the giant oaks, seven men walked out into the clearing.

"Inuyasha… we've been looking for you. Looks like your time has finally come."

"What the fuck do you want with me?"

"The name's Bankotsu, and my men and I have been instructed to kill you."

"Keh' as if I'd let a bunch of wimps like you defeat me!"

With great speed, Bankotsu slammed Inuyasha against a tree with his giant halberd. Then in another blink of an eye one of his minions came up and began to beat Inuyasha senseless with his sword.

The man Inuyasha had been saved by sprang to his feet and tackled both Bankotsu and the other. He jumped up and ran over to Inuyasha to help him up.

"What the Hell is wrong with you! Get away from here! It's me they want, not you."

"Yeah, that may be so, but I'm not gonna let you die here. It's quite obvious that your strength is gone and-"

Renkotsu had come up from behind and slammed an elbow into the man's back, and then he turned and punched Inuyasha in the jaw. The man instantly countered as he spun around and planted a swift kick to Renkotsu's temple, and at the same time Inuyasha staggered to his feet prepared for battle.

The seven intruders surrounded Inuyasha in a circle and all looked at him incredulously, as if they were waiting for something. Inuyasha had a really bad feeling like he'd been set up; maybe by the man that "saved" him, or maybe someone else. Either way, he didn't think he was going to be coming out of this one alive.

"So Inuyasha… this is the night where you turn human… is it not?"

Inuyasha wiped some blood off of his face into his sleeve, "Who the fuck told you that!"

"That is none of your concern half-breed."

"Keh' you are pathetic… you need seven people and weapons to kill me… AND you need me to be human in order to do it? You guys are must be very weak."

"Shut up, insolent fool!"

By now the band of seven had conveniently cut off the two humans from fighting together; Bankotsu had realized that the other human was a lot stronger than he'd anticipated him to be. He had ordered the rest of his men to fight off the half-demon's companion, while he personally got rid of Inuyasha.

"I may be turning human so but that doesn't mean I won't be able to whip your sorry ass; you never should have wasted your time in coming here."

"Your mouth seems to be your only weapon halfling. We'll just have to find out if you can truly defeat me; now wont we?"

"Well then bring it on!"

Bankotsu was the first one to make the move and he charged Inuyasha full force. He came within about five feet and then he jammed his weapon in the ground, placed his hand on the top and gracefully swung his body around the massive halberd delivering a swift kick to Inuyasha's stomach. Inuyasha quickly recovered from the blow and pushed off of a tree, launching himself back at his opponent. Bankotsu wasn't prepared for such a quick attack and didn't have enough time to pull his Banryu out of the ground. Inuyasha planted a strong upper cut to Bankotsu's jaw and sent him flying into the large oak tree behind them. Now it was a bit more evened out; Bankotsu was separated from his halberd and Inuyasha now had a slight advantage… for now.

The other man was trying his best to fight off the… six others that were attacking him. He had to admit, they weren't very fast, but he was no match for all of them in his current form. He could only hope to last long enough… Jakotsu swung his snake like weapon at the man and managed to slice his leg, but that still wasn't enough to slow him down; nothing seemed to stop him. The band realized that he must be part demon due to his stamina and extremely agile moves and aggressiveness. The six men surrounded the demon in a tight circle making no room for escape… they closed in, readying themselves for a kill. Suikotsu slammed him to the ground, and raised his arm to strike. The man quickly rolled over and dodge the slash, then countered by kicking Suikotsu in the stomach.

The man could hear loud moans and grunts coming from far off to his left. Bankotsu must have gotten to his weapon again… he jumped back to his feet and ran to the defenseless half-demon; he'd managed to butt through the circle only to have his side slashed by the snake like sword that seemed to have come out of nowhere. Now he lay on the ground with a rather large wound down his side.

"Stupid fool! Why the hell are you still here? I told you already, they want nothing from you, so just leave while you still have a chance…. Oh shit!" Inuyasha's eyes went wide as he realized the time had come.

The onlookers watched in amusement as the hanyo before them began to change into a human. His ears slowly disappeared and were replaced by regular ones at the side of his head, and his nails shrank to a normal size…

"Well, well human Inuyasha; it looks like it's finally time to kill you!"

Inuyasha tried his hardest to get to his feet, but the sudden rush of pain ran through his, now human, body made him collapse to the ground again. His head felt like it was on fire, and he thought for sure that he'd broken a few of his ribs… Yeah, this was definitely the end for him… he opened one eye to see when the fatal blow was going to be struck, but then he noticed a giant spiraling wind tunnel began to form around him and the other man. The band of seven stood back and watched as a twister formed around the two humans and fierce winds began rage, completely uprooting some of the nearby trees.

Bankotsu stepped back and motioned his men to spread out... there in front of them, was an enormous dragon that had to be at least twenty-five feet long and stood nearly eighteen feet from the ground. It had gleaming black scales and peircing yellow eyes. The dragon took a deep breath and flexed his claws. The earth beneath him began to rumble as the band of seven prepared for battle.

_Back in the hut:_

The group had settled down for the night and could only pray that Inuyasha was out of harm's way… but for some reason or another, they all seemed to share the same dark feeling that Inuyasha wasn't going to be okay.

"Inuyasha, I sure hope you are alright…" Kagome quietly turned over and a few tears trickled across her cheek as she fell asleep, wondering if he would be okay. It had only been after dark for about two hours…. So there was still a long way to go for him.

'Daddy, you'd better be alright; I don't know what I'd do if you never came back.' Aiko gingerly wiped away the tears that began cascading down her face as she tried to stifle the horrid thoughts of her father being hurt.

* * *

I am sorry about the long wait, bt my computer got a virus and it was pretty messed up for a while. Once I finally got that fixed fanfic started to get really flaky... I couldn't save any of my documents, which meant I couldn't update...

I would like to give my utmost gratitude to O-Mega Lead for helping me with my story... I would also like to thank everyone else for (hopefully) continuing to read my story.

I really need to know if anyone wants me to make another story!! I have my ideas listed in my profile bio, and I would appreciate it if you voted whichever one I should write next... if I am that is. Leave me a note saying which story I should write eith in a review or in a pm/email.


	29. A Victory at Last

**Chapter Twenty-Nine **

**A Victory at Last**

_Last time:_

_The dragon took a deep breath and flexed his claws. The earth beneath him began to rumble as the band of seven prepared for battle._

_Now:_

Bankotsu stood his ground, quickly glancing over his comrades, making sure they were in this together. He felt a strong uneasiness as he gripped the handle on his Banryu. Suikotsu stood a few feet from his leader flexing his muscles, itching to get the battle started. Kyokotsu decided he'd be the first to assault; he hurled his huge body at the dragon in an attempt to knock it down. The attack was rendered futile as their opponent whipped it tail at the charging foe and slammed him into a nearby tree, splitting it in half.

Ginkotsu rumbled forward and brought out his various weapons. He shot a cannon ball at the dragon and then followed it up by firing his grappler trying to go head to head with the beast. When the smoke from the explosion cleared, Bankotsu saw that his brother was now in the fangs of the dragon and he was about to be crushed under its extremely powerful jaws. They would need to attack all at once if they wanted to bring down this youkai, and they would have to act quickly too.

Renkotsu charged forward when he noticed that his most trusted brother was in peril, and he shot a cannon ball at the dragon knocking him over and causing him to drop Ginkotsu to the ground. He drank some liquid from his calabash bottle, and shot flames out of his mouth towards his opponent. He released the wires from his hands and coiled them around the dragon, engulfing it in a net of fire.

With the dragon at bay, Suikotsu took the opportune moment to deliver some more damage as fast as possible. With his speed and agility, he leapt into the air and ran his neko-te tekagi into the dragons flesh. It would have done more if it weren't for all the damn scales, but it did do some damage. He smoothly jumped off of the dragons back and did a back flip in the air, landed beside his leader.

Inuyasha had plenty of time to recuperate while the dragon was fighting the band of seven. He had made a splint for his leg from a thick branch and some vines. He was still in a huge amount of pain, but his headache was beginning to clear. With a new burst of energy he suppressed the throbbing pain and managed to get up from the ground. After wiping some blood from his mouth, he awkwardly ran over to the battle in an effort to help his ally. He snuck up on Jakotsu and knocked him out with a swift blow to the back of his head. He ran over to Ginkostu and jumped onto his body; then in one quick motion, he side kicked him across the face and stole the katana that was sheathed within his armor.

Bankotsu walked forward as he watched Inuyasha cut the wire, releasing the dragon from Renkotsu's trap. His eyes locked onto Inuyasha's the moment the two glanced towards each other. Inuyasha charged Bankotsu, and attacked him head on. Although Ginkotsu's katana was nothing compared with the Banryu, Inuyasha did have the advantage of close combat. As long as he stayed near Bankotsu, he wouldn't be struck. Bankotsu's halberd was too large for an attack if Inuyasha was always up in his face, so that's what the half-demon had planned. It would have worked sooner if Bankotsu hadn't realized it after Inuyasha delivered a few deep gashes along his midsection; but his plan was foiled and Bankotsu began to jump in and out with quick attacks. The hanyo was defenseless with the weapon he had now. He had to rely on dodging all of the attacks because if he used the katana to block one of the blows, it would simply shatter.

Suikotsu, Ginkotsu, and Jakotsu were all unconscious and out for the rest of the battle. After the dragon had broken free from Renkotsu's wire, he was taking them down one at a time. Mukotsu tried his best to help in fighting the dragon, but because he didn't have any real weapons, he was pretty much useless. His acids didn't seem to be strong enough to even make a graze on the dragon's body, and if he used any of his poison he would be putting his brothers in jeopardy as well. It was only a matter of minutes before he too was slammed to the ground brutally by the beast they were up against. Kyokotsu and Renkotsu were the only two left other than Bankotsu. They decided to attack at the same time from either side of the dragon. Kyokotsu landed a few good punches into the dragon's legs bringing it down, while Renkotsu blasted him with cannon fire.

The bloody hanyo was now backed into a corner with nowhere to run. Bankotsu was closing in on him preparing for the final blow with Banryu. He raised his halberd over his head and readied his most powerful attack-the Hatred Ball. Inuyasha frantically reached around him for anything that might prove to be useful, and to his amazing luck, he found Jakotsu's Kusanagi on the ground. He rolled to the side and flung the sword out praying that it would work. Sure enough, the snake like sword whipped out slicing Bankotsu across his entire body stopping him midway through his attack.

Panting, Inuyasha got up and delivered a punch to his opponents gut, causing him to drop the halberd. Bankotsu wasn't expecting what had happened, he had rid Inuyasha of the measly little katana from before, but the Kusanagi was a bit more effective. Inuyasha was about to send the final blow to end Bankotsu's life when he heard a roar from behind him. He quickly grabbed the snake like sword and ran to his friend's aid. He made a quick work of Renkotsu seeing as how he had hardly any skill in combat. As for the giant, Inuyasha let the dragon finish him off.

By the time the battle was over the sun was just beginning to rise. Two things happened; Inuyasha slowly began to transform back into the hanyou he was, and the dragon began to change back into its human state.

"So… does that mean you are a half-demon?"

"Yes," the man coughed up a little bit of blood, "I am a half-demon; but unlike you I change every night."

"What is your name? You obviously already know who I am."

"Name's Ryuu, I came across Kaede not too long ago and she told me a few things about you."

"Oh…"

Inuyasha and Ryuu walked over to where Bankotsu had been left only to find him nowhere in sight. The only one left there was Kyokotsu, and he was killed from the merciless beating given to him at the end of the fight. The rest of the band escaped a short while ago.

"A dragon huh… I guess I owe you a thank-you?"

"Yeah, same for you so don't mention it."

"Don't you get ridiculed for being a half-demon? I do all the time."

"Well I can mask my aura, so no one realizes that I am part demon. Plus my physical features don't show any sign of me being partially demon anyway."

Inuyasha and Ryuu got to talking about some random things, and they were getting to know each other a little more. For some reason or another Inuyasha didn't mind telling Ryuu anything about himself. It was possible that they shared a common understanding for one another because they were both half-demons. After a while Inuyasha somehow managed to leak out a bit of information about Kagome. Of course -to Inuyasha's dismay- Ryuu latched onto it like a leech. Slowly milking Inuyasha's thoughts and feelings out of him; Inuyasha didn't know why he said everything, it just sort of happened.

"So why don't you just tell her that you want to be with her?"

"It's not that easy! She's already got a mate, and she's happy with him."

"Are you sure about that? Maybe it just seems that way. Have you talked to her since the incident? Have you bothered asking her what she feels?"

"What's the point? I'm just a hanyou; why would she want me when she has Koga. He's a full demon and can give her the protection she needs."

"Don't give me that bullshit Inuyasha; you need to get yourself together and talk to her about it. Honestly what's the worst that could happen? She might say no, and then that would be it, you would be back to living alone; or she would say yes, and leave no unanswered questions that you may have lurking in the back of your head. In all truth Inuyasha, you have nothing to lose."

_At the hut:_

Kagome and Aiko were both very tense in the morning. Neither of them wanted to talk about anything, nor eat any of their breakfast. Only one thing was on their minds- one person for that matter- Inuyasha. They needed to know if he was alright; they needed to be reassured that he was fine and still alive. Kagome had insisted that they leave first thing in the morning and head down the stream to see if they could find any traces of Inuyasha, Aiko agreed immediately but both Miroku and Sango insisted that they get some food in their systems before they took off.

"Fine Miroku, you win; but only because this will make us find Inuyasha faster."

"Kagome, I don't mean to be cruel but you can't get your hopes up too high. We have no leads on his whereabouts or his condition if he survived."

"I know that Sango, but that doesn't mean I can't hurry. If he is out there and is wounded, then we need to get to him as soon as possible."

After bidding farewell to the old miko, the group left the village in haste. They figured it would take only a few hours to arrive at the point of the waterfall. Then from there they could split into two groups and search all the area downstream.

_With Inuyasha and Ryuu:_

The hanyos walked together up the stream to the spot where Ryuu said he found Inuyasha. They decided to follow the river bank back upstream so Inuyasha would be able to track Aiko's scent. Inuyasha had decided that she was the first priority, and then he would worry about confronting Kagome. He was pretty sure she would have gone with Miroku, but there was always a chance she got away from him. Inuyasha knew she was shy, and he also knew that she could easily fend for herself for a few days -as long as yokai didn't attack her anyway- he just hoped nothing happened to her.

"So this Aiko girl, you met her when you were in hell along with her mother?"

"Yeah."

"Interesting, so how did you ever make it out of there anyway?"

"I have no idea…"

_With the others:_

The group had traveled faster than expected and were already approaching the edge of the water fall. Kagome looked around and saw some blood smeared on a few of the rocks. When she looked over the edge, a cold shiver went down her spine. It was a horrifying thought that Inuyasha fell over these falls. She'd never seen anything worse… the rocks at the bottom were so jagged and big. She knew he did walk away from this without any major injuries, and that made her even more apprehensive about the condition of her hanyo.

Miroku, Sango, and Shippo went down the left side of the stream, while Kagome and Aiko went on the right side. They looked everywhere near the stream, into the forest and as far as a small village that resided a ways off. They never found anything that could give them a lead on their friend. When they came to a fork in the stream they decided each group would just continue in that direction –Kagome and Aiko to the right; Miroku, Sango, and Shippo to the left.

After a nearly ten more minutes of searching Aiko spotted something up ahead and ran towards it. From what Kagome could tell the girl was holding something while walking back to her. When she approached Kagome gasped at the sight… it was a ripped section of Inuyasha fire rat haori.

"Aiko where was this?"

"Just ahead… does this mean he is close by?"

"I don't know, but we are going in the right direction."

_With Inuyasha and Ryuu:_

After talking some more, Ryuu somehow convinced Inuyasha that he would talk to Kagome right away after he found Aiko; he was to sit down with her and tell her how he felt, nothing held back, putting everything out into the open. Inuyasha couldn't stand the hanyou's ridiculous torments anymore, so he eventually gave in.

Inuyasha hated to admit it, but Ryuu was right with no doubt. If Kagome truly loved Koga, then there was not a thing he could do about it. He would simply move on and try to start a new life. Normally he would have just given up, but now he had Aiko to look after. He wasn't going to abandon that task for anything in the world. The girl had gone through enough as it is, and she didn't need anything else complicating things.

Inuyasha had a new responsibility in his life now, and no matter how much he needed Kagome, he wouldn't give up on Aiko. He felt that Aiko needed him as much as he needed her, and if he left her, everything would fall apart. One dark, depressing thought still lingered in his mind though. What if Kagome did love him, but wouldn't accept Aiko? What if she didn't like Aiko? Inuyasha hardly thought that was possible, but there was always the possibility. Would he really be able to choose between the two? Yes. He gave it careful thought and realized that Aiko won that battle by quite a bit. Yes, he loved Kagome with all of his heart, but Aiko was like a daughter to him, and there was no way he would ever abandon her. Also, Inuyasha knew what would happen if he left her, and her happiness was far more important to him than his own desires. He would choose Aiko over Kagome if he had to, it would nearly kill him to do so, but he would do it nonetheless. He only prayed that he wouldn't have to make that decision.

"We are almost to the point where I found you; it's just over this hill."

"Let's go then."

_With Kagome and Aiko:_

Aiko clutched the small piece of fabric and held it close to her chest. She hoped with all her might that Inuyasha was okay, not only for her sake but for Kagome's as well. All doubts however vanished in an instant as soon as she walked over the top of the next hill.

_Inuyasha:_

Inuyasha was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a small squeak from ahead of him. When he looked up his eye's met with hers…

Aiko ran as fast as she could down the hill, nearly tumbling into the hanyo's outstretched arms. He was on one knee clutching the child close to him. He could smell her tears beginning to fall and he gently pulled her away to look into her eyes. He wiped away the small droplets and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'm sorry Aiko…"

Inuyasha had stopped her crying, but why could he smell tears? They had a familiar scent to them too… when he looked up to the top of the hill he saw Kagome standing there with her arms up at her chest. She was crying… but why? She looked so beautiful, standing in the gleaming sunlight; the sun glistening off of her soft face, making each of her magnificent features stand out in radiance. Her hair blew slightly to the side as the wind picked up its pace. For the longest moment Kagome and Inuyasha locked gazes and starred deep into each other's very souls.

Inuyasha broke the lock by standing up and slowly making his approach up to Kagome, with Aiko still in his arms. When he got up the Kagome's level he let down the girl and she skipped away to sit under a tree. After sending a glance over to make sure Aiko was jumping in any water, Inuyasha took a few more steps towards Kagome. The two stood there for the longest time, and then out of nowhere Kagome leapt into Inuyasha's arms and cried into his shirt.

"I'm sorry Kagome… I'm so sorry."

* * *

I am affraid that this story is coming to an end. No one seems to be reading it anymore and most people have lost interest; therefore, I think that the faster I finish this story the better. I will not cut any plans short, but I might be ending it a bit faster. I thank all of you who have read this, and I appreciate your support. 


	30. Reunited

**Chapter Thirty**

**Reunited**

_Last time:_

_"I'm sorry Kagome… I'm so sorry."_

_Now:_

Inuyasha stood there, lost in his own world, taking in the wonderful scent of the woman he had in his arms. He held her close and tight, not wanting to ever let go. Inuyasha pushed away and placed both on his hands on Kagome's shoulders; he looked at the ground and took a deep breath. Why was all of this so hard for him?

"Listen, Kagome... I know I haven't always been here when you needed me and I failed to protect you. There is no excuse for that, and I can only pray that you will forgive me. I don't know why you are with Koga, and I don't know if you truly want to be with him."

"Inu-"

"Kagome… just hear me out. I realized that I won't care if you want to be with Koga. The truth is that I only want you to be happy. If that means you choose to stay with Koga, then there is nothing I can do about that and I will leave you alone. I just need to know what you want to do Kagome… what do _you_ want?"

"I…I…"

"You don't have to answer me now, but I will want an answer sooner or later. I can't keep going on without knowing what could have been."

"Does that mean… you want to be with me?"

"I want whatever you want Kagome, I will accept any answer you give me."

Inuyasha turned around and began to slowly walk back to the girl under the tree. Aiko could see the sadness in his eyes; she could sense his need and desire for the young woman. She watched him carefully as he walked over and slumped against the base of the tree.

"So, what did she tell you? Is everything okay now?"

"I don't know Aiko… I don't know what will happen anymore."

"But you know what you _want_ to happen? You love her, right?"

'How is this kid so damn smart?' Inuyasha sighed and took a deep breath, "So what was your first clue?"



"It's way too obvious… besides, I can tell that she cares for you as well. Just tell her that you love her and want to be with her."

"If only it were that simple…"

"But it is that simple; all you need to do is tell her how you feel and you will be fine."

"She already has a mate… I don't know if she wants to be with him or me."

"Then ask her."

"I did; that's what I'm waiting on."

"Don't worry Inuyasha; I'm sure Lady Kagome will easily pick you over the wolf."

"I can only hope you're right." Inuyasha stood up and turned around to face the monk, "Hey Miroku, how has everyone been holding up?"

"Well it's nice to see you again. Last time we met I believe you were plummeting to your death…"

"Yeah, thanks for the reminder. How has-"

Inuyasha was unable to finish due to a giant orange hairball wedging itself in his face. After pulling the young kitsune out of his face, Inuyasha set him on the ground and sat down cross-legged.

"INUYASHA!! I can't believe it's really you! I thought I was never going to see you again!" Tears were forming in the young kit's eyes as he cried into Inuyasha's pant leg.

"Cheer up runt; I ain't going anywhere, okay. I'm sorry I left you guys in the first place, but I had to."

"I know Inuyasha," he sniffled a bit and wiped away some tears, "I was just so worried about you."

"I know Shippo; I know."

Miroku looked down upon the three on the ground before him. Slowly a smug look spread across his face…

They were all perfect for each other, but there was just one person missing. He glanced over to where Kagome was and saw that Sango was with her now, most likely consoling her. He was grateful that Kagome was back now. In the last few days that she had returned he saw that new found hope in Sango's eyes. The spark that was always there when she was with Kagome; that same spark that had faded away when Kagome left. It was as if Sango had lost a part of herself. Miroku was going to do everything he could to make things right again. Inuyasha was back, Kagome was back, Aiko was safe… now only one person stood in their way; Koga.



"What are you smirking at houshi?"

"You've gotten so soft Inuyasha… It's really quite entertaining to watch."

"Shut it!"

_Aside with Kagome and Sango:_

Sango had rushed to Kagome's side the moment she laid eyes on the girl,. At first she noticed that she was crying and she blamed Inuyasha for it. As usual he was the reason for her being upset. After much explaining and some more crying, Kagome convinced the demon slayer that it was not Inuyasha's fault and that she shouldn't do anything drastic to hurt the half-demon. At first Sango had promised to beat him to a pulp and then slap him so hard he would have a permanent hand print on the side of his face.

"So, are you honestly thinking about Koga?"

"I don't know Sango. I know that Koga loves me, but I don't know if Inuyasha actually does. He only said he wants what I want. Why can't he just be straight with me, and tell me his feelings?"

"Because he's right Kagome, none of us can tell you what to do. You need to decide this one on your own. If you truly love him, you will know what to do. Besides, Koga doesn't love you; he has a lust for you Kagome. He isn't anything like Inuyasha, and I know for a fact that Inuyasha loves you. You of all people should have realized this by now… I mean, he did go to hell and back just for you."

Kagome choked at the mention of what Inuyasha had done. She would never forget that fateful morning when she woke up and found him nowhere in sight. How could she forget that Inuyasha gave up his life, future, and dreams just so she could live? That letter… it tore deep into her heart and ripped a part of her soul straight from her body. She still had the letter; she decided to keep it forever, never wanting to lose any memories of her half-demon. So many nights went by where she simply laid in bed and cried her eyes out, clinging to the small memento. After thinking about all of this, Kagome berated herself for taking the slightest bit of hesitation with her decision.

"Inuyasha…"

Sango embraced her friend in another hug and patted her on the back, "Everything will be okay again Kagome, just give it time."

_With the others:_

Miroku was sitting on the ground cross-legged, watching Aiko and Shippo. When he looked up, he met Sango's gaze and slowly pulled himself off the ground. With one more glance at the children, Miroku ambled his way down the small hill and over to her.



"Miroku… I talked to Kagome and she said she wants to be with Inuyasha. She thought about Koga, but I convinced her that he wasn't anything special."

"Well, that's good news."

"How did we get stuck in this mess Miroku? Why do we always get shit on with misfortune?"

Miroku couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at what the slayer had said. The way she said it, it was unlike her to be so blunt and to use any offensive language. It was all too true though. Within the time their group was together, everything that could go wrong pretty much did at some point. He had the curse of the wind tunnel, Sango lost her brother and family, Inuyasha literally went through hell, Kagome got stuck in her time, and to top it all off, Koga completely fucked up everything… this was not what they expected when they first started their little adventure.

"That's a good question my dear Sango… that's a damn good question."

_In Kaede's insanely crowded hut:_

The gang was all in the hut now, taking a rest from the merciless adventures of the past few days. Everyone was some how packed in the hut; Kaede had no idea how nine people fit in there while still having enough room to breathe.

Everyone was just sitting or standing in one spot… not saying anything; not moving, all one could hear was the loud breathing from all of the bodies.

After noticing the rather close proximities of everyone, Ryuu decided it would good if he stayed outside.

"Well, I'm gonna go get some fresh air… it's a little bit crowded in here if you ask me."

"I concur… I too shall go. I shall see ye all later."

"Sango, may I talk to you outside please?"

"Sure thing."

"Shippo, Kirara, would you like to go outside and play?" Aiko realized what everyone was trying to do.

"Okay, sure."

"Mew!"

That left two… Inuyasha and Kagome.

"I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry about? I should be the one apologizing to you."



"I… I let you down… I can never forgive myself for that. I understand if you don't want to be around me anymore."

"Inuyasha… why would you think I wouldn't want to be with you?"

"I abandoned you Kagome; I left you alone after promising to protect you. I broke that promise."

Kagome couldn't believe her ears. Here was the man she loved with all of her heart, right before her, apologizing after saving her life. She scooted closer to him on the ground as the tears began to fall from her eyes.

'_There I go again, constantly making her cry… I should just leave.'_

"I am truly sorry Kagome. I don't deserve any forgiveness and I understand if you can't forgive me, but just know tha-"

Inuyasha was unable to finish his sentence as Kagome suddenly crushed her lips against his. She closed her eyes and kissed him with all of the passion she had, trying to show him how she felt. At first Inuyasha was completely stunned, but after the initial shock he began to respond with just as much fervor.

When Kagome finally pulled back for air, she locked gazes with him. Time seemed to stand still as the two starred endlessly into each others' eyes. She could see the love and care; the pain and suffering; the joy and the sadness. Whenever she looked into those intense amber pools, she could feel everything. After placing another chaste kiss, she took his head and held it level with her own eyes.

"I love you Inuyasha, there is no one I would rather be with in this world or any other. How could I possibly be mad at you? You have done everything for me. If anything I am the one that is undeserving; I don't think that-"

This time Kagome was the one cut off when Inuyasha practically dove at her and slammed his lips back onto her own. She could feel all of his very soul and heart in the kiss. He was letting all of his past thoughts of denial and rejection wash away.

Kagome felt his tongue push against her lips, demanding entry to her mouth. Happily surrendering, she let him in and added her own passion by beginning a battle for dominance. She could feel the growl that rumbled deep within his chest, vibrating against her body heard his growl of frustration and pleasure before he overpowered her.

When they both broke away gasping for air, Inuyasha looked into her eyes. He saw something he was never able to see anywhere else; true love. He hastily scooped her up in his arms and raced out of the hut, and in one giant leap they were flying through the air. He landed in the highest tree on the thickest branch, and then he dropped down with his back to the tree and placed his drowsy miko in his lap. Clutching her body tightly, he kissed her cheek and let out a deep breath of satisfaction. Kagome smiled and snuggled in closer, beginning to drift off into a blissful sleep.

_Others:_

Miroku and Sango were looking in the direction that the hanyou hand oh so quickly gone off to with Kagome. At the same time they both let out a sigh of relief while saying,

"Well it's about damn time…"

* * *

Sorry about such a long wait. I really have been trying to write, but it seems that I was hit in the head with writer's block and "senioritis" at the same time- completely scrambling my brain by the way- and I haven't been able to write the same.


	31. The Final Threat

So sorry for the tremendously long wait, but I've been through a lot lately. Graduation, trying to find a job, vacation, and one of my really good friends was killed recently in an accident. On top of all that, I haven't been able to think of anything to write either. I lost all inspiration in my writing… so this probably isn't very good, but I will try to finish out this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

**Chapter Thirty-One**

**The Final Threat**

_Last time:_

Miroku and Sango were looking in the direction that the hanyou hand oh so quickly gone off to with Kagome. At the same time they both let out a sigh of relief,

"Well it's about damn time…"

_Now:_

Inuyasha stirred a little bit as he felt Kagome begin to squirm around. His ears picked up on the soft pleas for help that were escaping from her lips. He woke up instantly and looked down at his miko. She quickly began to thrash around and scream his name. Without a second thought, Inuyasha scooped up the traumatized girl and jumped away from the tree to the safeness of the ground. He gently began to shake her shoulders,

"Kagome… Kagome you need to wake up."

Nothing

"Kagome, come on, you need to wake up!"

"Inuyasha… no, please no… no… you can't be…. NO!"

Not knowing what to do, the frightened hanyou gently pressed his lips to Kagome's. She slowly began to calm down and her thrashing resided. He grabbed her head as he began to trace circles against the small of her back with his other hand, doing anything to calm her down. Suddenly he felt her soft, warm lips respond; she laced her arms around his neck and gradually opened her eyes.

"Inu-Inuyasha?" Kagome looked up and saw two very concerned amber eyes gazing down on her.

His voice was so soft and fragile; as if he would just break like shattered glass at the slightest disturbance,

"Are you okay now?"

She nodded her head in response.

"What happened? Was it a bad dream?"

"Yes…"

Inuyasha picked Kagome back up and leapt back into the tree. Resuming the position with her in his lap, he wrapped his arms around her in a protective hold. He gently laid his chin on her shoulder and leaned his head on hers, taking in the wonderful vanilla and lavender scent.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Well… it… it just got me really scared."

"It's okay, I'm here now. It was just a nightmare."

"No, you don't get it… last time I had a dream this graphic it came true. Almost like a premonition."

"Oh. Well, what happened? If you tell me then maybe I can do something to help."

Kagome simply nodded in response.

_Kagome's dream:_

The twigs snapped and the leaves crunched as she ran across the forest floor. Jumping over logs and ducking under branches, Kagome didn't dare look back. She could hear him gaining on her; his deep threatening voice calling out to her, telling her to give up. She was beginning to get wary and her air was starting to leave her lungs. Coughing vigorously, she hid behind a large oak tree to catch a breather. The man was slowly approaching from the other side of the tree, inching closer and closer. Kagome's eyes widened when she could even hear him breathing on the opposite side.

A growl was heard far in the distance, and soon to follow was another; the loud pounding of feet not too far away. The man averted his attention from the girl and looked to his right where he could see the trees and bushes begin to rustle. After a loud thump all sound suddenly stopped… the man let down his katana and walked to the edge of the brush. His eye's became as wide as saucers as he peered into the leaves; two deadly red eyes were staring right back at him with a murderous glint in them.

When Kagome poked her head out from behind the tree, all she could see was a flash of red come flying out of the bushes. It tackled the other man to the ground and started to viciously slash at his chest. The man fought back and kicked his assailant off of him. Both men jumped to their feet and began to walk in a tight circle, sizing each other up.

Kagome maneuvered herself to the other side of the tree to see what was going on and she got a glance at who the people were. On one side was Inuyasha and the other was… Kouga. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw Inuyasha's eyes. They were red; a dark grimacing shade of crimson. They held no feeling, no emotions, only darkness. Inuyasha could no longer 

differentiate friend from foe; he only knew how to kill. She had seen those eyes before and she was hoping to never be reacquainted with them again in her life. Kagome gasped when she saw that the Tetsuaiga was firmly planted at his hip…

The fight went on for about an hour, and in the final stages, both had numerous injuries that would have easily killed any human. Tiring fast, Inuyasha tried to finish the battle fast by attempting to strangle his opponent. Kouga; however, managed to throw the half-breed off of him and several yards away. When Inuyasha began to charge again, he didn't have time to notice that Kouga had flipped up his katana from the ground with is foot. Wielding it like a javelin, the wolf demon hurled it at the oncoming Inuyasha. Kagome watched in horror as the man she loved get pierced through the heart when Kouga threw his sword.

As he fell to his knees, Kagome saw the color return to his eyes. Inuyasha's eyes were once again golden. In an instant however, they became cloudy and distant. When Kagome jumped to her feet to rush to his side, his image only moved farther and farther into the distance. Tears formed in her eyes as she screamed his name.

_End dream_

Kagome sat in utter fear when she finished. She was terrified beyond all reason, and though that she might lose Inuyasha at any moment. Two strong arms wrapped around her to stop her shivering. Fear was clearly written all over her face. It pained Inuyasha to no end to know that Kouga was still out there and Kagome wouldn't rest easy until he was out of their lives.

"Don't worry Kagome, I'm not going to ever leave your side. Kouga won't do anything to you ever again."

"But… that's not what I'm worried about. What if he hurts you?"

"Better me than you."

"Inuyasha… how, how can you say something like that?"

"Kagome… I'm not going to let him near you ever again, even if it costs me my life."

"But…"

"Just get back to sleep Kagome."

The rest of the night, Inuyasha didn't sleep one minute. His eyes were focused on the one person in his life that made him complete. He watched her beautiful face for hours; he was in utter bliss, just to lay there with her.

_The others:_

It was now morning and Miroku had woken up early, before anyone else. He stretxhed his arms and cracked his neck. When he got up to leave the hut, he slammed his head into the door frame…

"Ouch… when did that get there!?"

Suddenly his eyes became cross-eyed and he fell straight to the ground with a thump, unfortunately landing right on top of Sango. When she opened her eyes, she was met with the monks dizzied self with his hand gently resting on her breast…

"Hentai!!" WHACK!

A loud smack could be heard all across the village. By now the community had gotten used to this and gradually accepted it as a morning alarm clock.

"Whats going on?" Shippo lightly opened his eyes to catch the last of Sango storming out of the hut with a red face. He slowly shook his head and looked at the unconscious monk sprawled out in the floor, "idiot."

Ryuu walked into the hut with a quizzical look on his face, "What happened?"

Shippo pointed to Miroku on the floor with a giant red hand print across his face, "Nothing you won't get used to."

Ryuu sweat-dropped and quirked an eyebrow, "I see…"

_Kagome and Inuyasha:_

Inuyasha heard the loud smack of Sango's hand and growled a bit when Kagome began to stir. He made a metal note to beat the monk senseless for waking his Kagome. Inuyasha looked down as her eyes began to open up. He smiled down at her but then became worried when she gave him a sad look. Why would she be upset?

"Inuyasha… did you sleep at all last night?"

"Well, uh… not exactly."

"You need your rest too you know."

'I'll get my rest once Kouga is gone for good.'

"I know, I was just thinking. Anyway, someone needs to protect you at night."

"Never mind, we'll talk later. Let's go find everyone else."

"Kagome?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have any problems with Aiko? Would you accept her staying with us?"

"Of course, I would be happy if she stayed with us!"

The biggest wave of relief washed over the hanyou as he let out the breath he didn't know he was holding in. That was the second best thing he heard in his whole life – and the first of course, was Kagome saying she loved him. Soon the two found their destination and weren't very surprised to see an unconscious monk lying on the floor of the hut.

"We're back everyone!"

"Oh, hi Kagome; I need to talk to you. NOW!"

"Sango… Sango what are you doing, where are you taking me?"

The others stared as the slayer dragged the other girl out the door and off into the distance. There was an awkward silence until Miroku began to stir on the ground.

"What did you do this time monk?"

"Ow, my head. It wasn't my fault Inuyasha! This time I really did nothing."

Glancing at the hand print on his friends face he retorted, "Well you obviously did something."

_Kagome and Sango:_

Now at the hot springs, the two girls were in the water enjoying the warmth of the shallow waters.

"Sango, why did you drag me out here? It's obvious you want to talk, but about what?"

"What happened?"

"What do you mean? When?"

"Last night, duh! What happened between you two? You left in such a hurry. What did he say to you?"

"Well he said that he loved me… and of course-"

"WHAT!! He really said those words?"

"You mean you guys weren't listening in on the conversation?"

"Well, we would have but Kaede shooed us all of to give you two your 'privacy'"

Kagome and Sango stopped their conversation when they heard the bushes rustle from behind them. They both quickly got dressed and looked around the woods.

"Houshi, I swear, if you're out there I'll do some permanent damage to your head!"

"Inuyasha, is that you?" Kagome took a step back when the bushes in front of her began to move.

* * *

I once again apologize for my extremely long wait, and for the shortness of the chapter. I've had too many things going on and I don't think I'm going to continue writing after this. I might, but it's unlikely. Any of you that are -for some reason- still interested in this story, I am sorry that it has been going down hill. I simply don't think I have what it takes to write anymore.


	32. A Fight to the Death

Disclaimer: I don't own it!

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

**A Fight to the Death**

_Last Time:_

_"Inuyasha, is that you?" Kagome took a step back when the bushes in front of her began to move._

_Now:_

Inuyasha was sitting on the floor of the hut talking with Miroku when he heard it; a shrill scream that echoed through the trees back to his sensitive ears. All attention turned to the door when the half-demon jumped to his feet and raced out the door.

Miroku soon followed suite and jumped to attention. He was running as fast as he could to the hot springs that the girls had gone to. He could only hope that they were okay. Ryuu was going to join them but Miroku had said that it would be best if he stayed at the hut to keep watch over the kids.

When he got to the springs he saw that Inuyasha was helping Sango off of the ground.

"Inuyasha, Sango! What happened?"

"Go Inuyasha!" The hanyou nodded in response to Sango and took off into the woods.

"Sango, what happened? Where is Lady Kagome?"

"I don't know, something attacked us and it chased her in to the forest. I tried to help but it pushed me into that rock." Sango rubbed the back of her head and when she brought her hand around to see, she noticed the small amount of blood.

Miroku scooped her up and began his way back to the hut to have Sango's injuries looked at.

_Inuyasha:_

He was racing through the trees as fast as his feet could carry him. Hardly even bothering to doge the trees, Inuyasha smashed straight through them and they fell in his path. He had to find Kagome; he needed to make sure he was safe. Then he smelled it. He sensed that it was him… Kouga.

The hanyou's body started to change after the thought of that mangy wolf laying one hand on his Kagome. His fangs grew and his eyes went dark red. The claws on his fingertips grew in length as did the ones on his feet. Inuyasha's speed picked up and he moved even faster to his destination. This was it; this was going to be their last battle, and he knew death was at hand.

_With Kagome:_

Her shirt had torn on a few branches as she ran through the forest. The blood slowly trickled down her legs and she raced through the rough undergrowth of the forest floor. Breathing heavily, Kagome kept running but her mind was elsewhere. She was thinking about the dream she had just the previous night. Everything was the same… she was running for her life from whom she presumed to be Kouga, and it was only a matter of time before Inuyasha showed up.

"Kagome… you can't hide from me Kagome. I will find you."

That low, deep, horrifying voice; it rumbled through the air and sent shivers of fear down her spine. Kagome ran and jumped over a small bush then hid behind a large oak tree. She let out a few coughs and pinned herself against the back of the tree. She could hear his hoarse breathing coming from the other side. Then she heard her savior… the soft thumping of his feet not too far in the distance. An intense wave of mixed emotions went through her veins; guilt, fear, helplessness, and worry. She felt guilty that if Inuyasha was hurt it would be her fault for not avoiding the situation. She knew it was going to happen, so why didn't she do anything to stop it? Could she have done anything to stop it, or was it fate?

Her enemy stopped him pursuit and faced the bushes on his right. He could see the movement of the vines and tree limbs. He heard the pounding of feet against the ground as the object neared him. Kouga drew his sword and readied himself for whatever was in the brush. When he parted the branches of the bush he saw two dark red eyes looking back at him. He could sense that the demon only had one thing on his mind. Blood… his blood.

Before the wolf could react the other demon flung himself at the opponent and knocking him to the ground. Inuyasha slashed at his enemy and made deep gouges across his chest. Finally Kouga managed to heave his assailant off of him, and get back to a fighting stance. The two circled around and sized each other up before moving in to attack.

_The Others:_

Miroku had taken his injured comrade back to the hut to tend to her wounds. When he got there he was instantly bombarded with questions concerning the women and the whereabouts of the other two. Shippo and Aiko were concerned about their surrogate parents and wanted to know if they could help them. Miroku eventually got them to calm down and said that Inuyasha had everything under control.

"Sango, what is it that attacked ye?"

"I'm not sure Kaede, but I think… I think it might have been _him_."

"In that case Inuyasha and Kagome may be in very grave danger. If it was Kouga, than I'm almost certain this fight will lead to either his or Inuyasha's death. If he goes into his demon form he will stop at nothing until Kouga is dead, and I am afraid he may hurt Kagome as well."

"No! He would never hurt Kagome! I know it!!"

"Aiko; child, when Inuyasha turns into his demon form, he no longer has the ability to tell who is the enemy and who is the ally."

"But Kaede, I thought that has long as Inuyasha had Tetsuaiga then he wouldn't transform?"

"True Shippo, but if he gets separated from it in battle… there is no way he will be able to control himself. With a formidable opponent such as Kouga… we don't know what may happen."

At this statement one of them got up and left the hut heading towards the forest. The others watched as he disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

_The Battle:_

Kagome prayed with all of her might that Inuyasha was still himself. When she turned to peer around the giant trunk of the tree, she saw that his eyes were indeed red. Horror instantly went through her body and she began shaking with fear. In his demon form Inuyasha was stronger, but on the other hand, he stopped and nothing and felt no pain. He wouldn't make a strategy or find the opponents weakness. He would simply attack it head on.

Inuyasha was attacking viciously from every angle, punching and clawing at Kouga's face. The wolf was hit several times and only managed to block a couple of the blows. He then swung his katana at the half-demon, forcing him a few feet away. Acting like he was going to swing his sword, Kouga raised his hand to deliver the strike. At the last second however, he instead punched the unsuspecting hanyou in the face, knocking him backwards. Taking the opportunity and the advantage, the wolf lashed out, swinging at his opponent fiercely, ripping off bits and pieces of skin and cloth. When Inuyasha went in for a counter the wolf demon jumped back and spun on one foot, planting the other directly in the hanyou's gut. With his foot still in the air, Kouga then delivered a bone shattering kick to Inuyasha's right leg.

Inuyasha collapsed to the ground onto one knee; he was weary and hurt, but he was never going to give up. When Kouga swung his sword at his foe, Inuyasha skillfully ducked under the blow and withdrew his own weapon. Normally he wouldn't use it, but right now he knew that he had to win this fight by any means possible. Slicing at the other demon, Inuyasha made a deep gash across his stomach, then launching himself off his good leg; he dove at Kouga headfirst driving him into a nearby tree.

The tree split in half and came crashing down heading straight for Kagome. Inuyasha noticed this and his heart went out to the girl. He didn't know why, but he knew he had to protect her. Without another thought, he launched himself at the tree and knocked it out of its path, avoiding the girl. For a split second they locked gazes and Inuyasha knew he needed to protect her.

Inuyasha turned around and charged at the wolf demon as he got up off the ground. Almost in slow motion, Kagome saw Kouga ready his sword and through it at the oncoming hanyou. The sword went flying through the air with immense speed and pierced Inuyasha straight through the chest.

Kouga had a sinister smirk across his face when he saw that he hit his mark. He was even more delighted to see the girl come running out with a tear stained face as his opponent began to fall to the ground.

"Inuyasha… please, Inuyasha… you have to be okay!"

Inuyasha's face was paling and the moonlight was reflecting off of his darkening eyes.

"Oh no Kagome, he is going to die, and you are going to share the same fate."

Kagome turned to Kouga with tears pouring out of her eyes. When he lifted his sword, she tried to cover Inuyasha's body with her own.

Kouga was about to deliver the final blow when he heard a booming thunderous roar coming from behind him. As he turned around the trees that were around them suddenly came crashing down when a giant black dragon came through the center. Its eyes were bright an intense with anger. Kouga knew he stood now chance against this dragon, so he decided to let it kill Inuyasha and Kagome for him. He had no idea what the dragon was doing here, but he could only assume it was going to kill all of them for being on its territory or something. As he began to maneuver himself away from the beast he couldn't help but noticed that its eyes were fixed on him… and only him.

Inuyasha was having trouble breathing and his heartbeat was slowing down with every passing minute. The sword had missed his heart, but it punctured both of his lungs, blocking his air supply. Kagome had managed to drag his body onto the dragon and now they were flying through the air.

"Inuyasha… You have to be okay… you just have to be."

She looked down at his face and saw him stir just a little bit. He tried to sit up but she pushed him back down.

"Ka-Kagome… are… you 'kay?"

She nodded her head and continued to cry as she watched as his body was being drained of life.

"I love you Inuyasha… you can't die! What about Aiko? What about Shippo? They need you!"

"Looks… it looks like you're gonna… have to look after them for me." Inuyasha coughed up some blood and made a few horrible wheezing sounds at his attempts for air.

"NO!! No Inuyasha, you can't die on me! I won't be able to live without you!"

"Yes… you h-have to go on Kagome. Just like before… I know- you can do it again… for me."

Kagome simply cried even harder into his chest as is began to rise and fall less and less.

"Inuyasha… why? Why did this have to happen?"

Kagome felt a hand go up to her face and gently wipe away her tears. She looked down to see Inuyasha smiling with tears of his own in his eyes. He slowly pulled her down and kissed her for the last time. Kagome kissed him back and she hoped that the moment would never end. Inuyasha pulled away and looked sincerely into her eyes,

"I- I love you Kagome… don't forget that."

Kagome watched as the man she loved died in her arms. His eyes went grey and his body went limp…

Stricken by devastation and agony, Kagome cried out him name and began to slam her small fists on his chest. She then readied herself to jump off of the dragon to her death. Just before she jumped she looked up and saw that they weren't flying back to the village… they were headed to the west.

* * *

I know this story is going down hill am I'm sorry that I just simply ran out of steam, but I am trying my hardest to finish it up. I hate this chapter and I really didn't know what to do with it. I had it sitting on my computer since the last update not knowing whether or not to post it or completely start over on it...


	33. Aftermath

Well... I think I did okay on this one, but you are the judge of that. A few people have asked me to "please kill Kouga." I will tell you this... who says he didn't get killed? Just because you didn't read it, doesn't mean he wasn't killed. Curiuos? Read on!

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

**Aftermath**

_Last time: Just before she jumped she looked up and saw that they weren't flying back to the village… they were headed to the west._

The group walked through the thick forest with only one thought on their minds. They needed to know if Inuyasha and Kagome were okay. It wasn't very long after Ryuu had left the hut that the others decided to follow. Unfortunately for them, Ryuu was way too fast for them to keep pace with. Once they started to catch up to him, the darkness of the night surrounded the forest with an evil presence and then he transformed into his other form, shooting out into the sky.

After several minutes of walking Miroku came to a halt as his staff began to jingle with the flow of the wind. Planting the object in the ground, he closed his eyes and let his senses reach out into the night. Everyone stood in complete silence as they let the monk concentrate. When his eyes opened, the others were suddenly struck with fear when they saw the look on his face. His eyes… they held fear and sadness… and something they couldn't quite put a finger on.

"Wha- what's wrong Miroku?"

Without even moving his head or gaze in his direction, the monk answered the kit with a stern unyielding voice,

"I sense hate, despair, remorse… and death."

The small group looked around at each other with terrified expressions; no one really knowing what to do or even say. Shippo and Aiko held onto each other's hands, trembling, fearing the worst of their friends… their family. Sango looked at the ground to avoid the intense flow of emotion pouring from Miroku's unmoving eyes. After what felt like forever, the monk finally spoke again, narrowing his eyes and speaking with a calm yet unnerving voice,

"I don't think Shippo or Aiko should continue. I will go ahead, but I want you to take them back."

He still didn't move the slightest bit, but Sango knew he was talking to her. She slowly gave a nod of approval and turned to face the children. Instantly however, they both shook their heads. The slayer glanced back at Miroku for his reaction, who still hadn't moved from his position. His tone was the same as he spoke,

"If you want to come, you must be prepared for the worst. You will not like what you see."

Sango heard simultaneous gulps of uncertainty, but they both nodded their heads to continue on. They had to push forward and they both knew it. They feared the worst for their parents, but would stop at nothing in order to find them. Miroku nodded his head, removed his staff from the ground, and began to slowly walk onward.

Sango, for the first time in her life, was truly terrified. Not once had she seen Miroku act in such a manner. His voice was so foreboding… so intense and nerve wracking. It sent chills down her spine. There wasn't a time that she could recall when the monk wouldn't try to cheer up the situation with a comment of reassurance or goodwill to the problem at hand. Never in her life, had his voice ever been so cold and chilling when talking to children. Never had she seen him not smile at least once when talking to Shippo… but this time, his voice _was_ cold, it _was_ chilling… and he did not smile the slightest. He didn't even look at the children when talking to them. What was even worse in her mind, however; when they did finally continue on, he slowed his pace. Walking without any rush… actually, he was walking slower than he normally would on a regular basis. He was taking his time, walking as if he was trying to delay in getting to their friends.

Perhaps the children didn't know because they were both jumping with eagerness and anticipation to get to their destination. Wanting so badly to run ahead and find their parents. Sango on the other hand, knew exactly what this meant… it meant that there was no reason for them to push faster; there was absolutely nothing they could do to help… the worst had already happened and Miroku knew it already. Going any faster to aid their friends was futile; there was no hope in helping them in any way.

_With Kagome:_

The girl from the future sat down on the dragon and slowly lifted her love into her lap. She looked down at his unmoving face as more tears began to pour from her eyes. She was crushed. Her mind was clouded with questions and guilt. She blamed herself for his death, and it was eating away at her very soul. Her own mind had betrayed her, and she was having an inner battle with herself; she could hear a voice in her head, screaming at her, telling her it was all her fault. The thing was… it was her own voice that was scolding her.

_Why did you let him die?_

_Why didn't you stop it?_

_You had the power to avoid this, yet you did nothing!_

Kagome shook her head trying to rid herself of the torment. It was no use though; deep in the very core of her soul, she knew it was all true. She had even had the premonitions about his death… but she did nothing. As always, she sat idly by, letting Inuyasha take all the pain and punishment from her problems. She let him get hurt for _her_ mistakes. Inuyasha died because of her own idiocy and negligence. She was careless and didn't want to believe anything could go wrong, and it was because of that foolishness that she was here in her current state.

More sobs of grief erupted from the girl as she aggressively swatted away at the tears that never seemed to cease. Gently, she took one hand and brushed the bloodied hair from Inuyasha's face; his horribly cut and bruised face. In her mind though, he was still the most beautiful creature to walk this earth. She saw past his current physical condition and straight into his heart and soul.

His heart… she couldn't believe it could ever stop beating. He had the biggest heart anyone could ever have. Though he would never admit it, she knew his heart had been torn by so many people. Yet it still never once wanted revenge, it never wanted to hurt someone else, it only wanted to help. He would put aside the ache and pain, and help the less fortunate. He would rescue and protect the same kind that hated him for who he was. Never did he strike out at an innocent human, or lay a hand on someone that said something horrible to him. All throughout his life, he took in the pain and punishment. He locked it up and threw away the key.

So easily, he could have lost his temper and killed anyone that made him the slightest bit angry. So easily, he could have struck down so many people that had hurt him in his past, but no, he forgave everyone. He simply let it all go. To Kagome, this was the most wonderful thing about him. He was like no other. He was truly special. He was truly someone who did nothing to deserve this fate.

_The others:_

As Miroku approached the battle field he stopped and quickly turned to face the others. He looked down at Shippo and Aiko and spoke,

"This is your last chance to turn back and save yourselves from the torment and pain that you will find ahead."

Sango, once again, was frightened to her very core when she heard his voice. After a few moments he turned back around and went forward, not waiting for any type of response.

Entering the battle field, they saw the complete devastation. Trees were crushed and uprooted from the ground. There was a strong stench of blood and death in the air. The very atmosphere around them seemed to change as they ventured further into the forest.

After a while they came to a clearing. It wasn't natural though. In a large circle, the trees were all crushed and torn to the ground. They could see the large claw markings and prints in the ground that had been left by Ryuu. Blood was smeared on nearly every tree and small puddles of red were everywhere. When they came to the center, all eyes focused on the large pool of red on the ground, and they became a little queasy.

Shippo sniffed the air and the scent of the blood exploded through his sinuses. He left out a soft cry of despair when he realized who's blood it was… it was Inuyasha's, all of it. There was so much… no one could have survived with that amount of blood loss. He let out another choked cry as he spoke in a shaky voice,

"This… this is Inuyasha's blood…"

Aiko burst into tears and ran in the opposite direction back into the forest. Quickly, Sango ran after her to try to comfort the young girl.

Miroku walked forward some more and what he saw made stomach churn and nearly spill its contents. Unfortunately he wasn't fast enough to stop the young kit from seeing the horrifying image. Shippo instantly threw up on the ground and began to cough violently. Miroku knelt down in front of him so he wouldn't see any more of it… after the kit was done hurling up his recently digested food, the monk picked him up to take him away from the scene. As he looked up, he saw the girls walking towards them, instantly he shouted for them to stop and turn around. Luckily for Aiko, she was behind Sango and didn't see anything, but the slayer… what she saw was far worse that she could have imagined. Her face went pale and held her hand to her mouth to stop herself from gagging.

Off to the side of the clearing lay Kouga… or what was left of him anyway. His body was so badly shredded, that he could only be recognized by the small pieces of his clothing. There was a gash across his chest that opened him up, and his very heart was sticking out of it. The lower half of his body was separated at the torso and all of the bones were crushed. His upper half was impaled into the side of a tree that was also destroyed. Pieces of the bark were sticking through his sides, holding him in place. His red stained katana was sticking out of the ground beside him. It was covered from the hilt to the tip of the blade with that nasty red substance… but it wasn't just anyone's blood, it was Inuyasha's blood. The worst however, was that his head was no longer atop his neck… it lay a few feet away, with his eyes still open. His jaw was snapped, leaving his mouth ajar and blood was still dripping out of it, leaving a small puddle underneath.

_Elsewhere:_

A small green imp like creature raced through the halls of the castle to his master's quarters. He'd been looking out the window when he noticed a rather odd sight. A large dragon was swiftly approaching the castle and it look like it was in a hurry. Taking his staff of two heads, he rapped on the large wooden door of the room where his lord resided. After waiting a few moments he heard the rather annoyed voice of Sesshomaru telling him to come in.

"What do you need Jaken? It had better be important if you plan on waking me at this hour."

The big eyed creature prayed that this was important enough, for he did not wish to lose his life. He gulped and cleared his throat and then began to talk,

"I am terribly sorry M'lord Sesshomaru, but there is a large dragon approaching the castle and I thought that you should know."

"How far is it?"

"I think that- gah!!"

The little toad lost his balance and fell over as the castle shook when the dragon landed outside. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes in annoyance and walked over him, heading to the balcony.

Kagome looked up and watched as they came to their destination; Sesshomaru's castle. It had taken them a while to get there, and the sun was already beginning to show the first signs of morning. Ryuu had quickened his pace considerably, knowing that he would soon turn back into a human.

As they landed on a large balcony the whole castle seemed to shake a bit. Kagome slid down the dragon's side with Inuyasha in her arms and soon after Ryuu began to glow and gradually shrink in size. She looked up to see the great demon lord of the western lands make his appearance and walk out onto the balcony with a rather aggravated look on his face. Before she could talk though, he spoke with his cold monotonous voice,

"What brings you onto this Sesshomaru's lands? And make it hasty before I decide to kill you for trespassing."

Kagome found the ground much easier to talk to as she spoke,

"I… I need your help."

Sesshomaru was contemplating whether or not to help her, after all, he did notice his deceased brother in her arms. '_Half-brother!' _he silently corrected himself. Before he could provide an answer though, Jaken made his presence known.

"Why would Lord Sesshomaru help a pathetic wench like you? Now leave!"

Sick of listening to that irritating high-pitched voice, Sesshomaru kicked the green imp in the head and knocked him back into the castle, closing the door. If she wasn't mentally and physically destroyed at the time, Kagome probably would have laughed at the sight.

"What has this pathetic _half-breed_ done to get himself into this mess?"

Anger began to turn into rage as she heard those words leave the lord's mouth. She wasn't going to stand for anyone degrading Inuyasha just because of who he is. She spoke with a lowered voice and it was laced with hate and viciousness,

"You have no right to speak of him that way! He was a better man than you ever were and ever will be!"

A bit taken aback by the young miko's outburst, Sesshomaru wasn't sure what to say for a few moments.

"I would watch your tongue if I were you! I could kill both of you right now and end this little discussion."

"That wouldn't be very wise of you, and you know that very well."

The demon lord looked over to see another person standing next to the girl. This human wasn't _all_ human however, something was different about him. Then Sesshomaru realized that Jaken had said a dragon was approaching the castle.

"Silence _half-breed_, you know nothing of wisdom."

Sesshomaru unsheathed his sword and pressed it firmly to Ryuu's neck.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut you down right now."

* * *

I tried... that's all I can say about it. If you care at all about this story then please read the incredibly boring but important stuff that follows:

Okay, I feel the need to clear up a few things. First off, when I was going on about Inuyasha's wonderful heart and all... I was pertaining to him as a half demon or human. I know that when he is in his demon form he seeks revenge, and wants to kill everything that moves.

Also, someone asked me why I killed Inuyasha _again._ If you think a little harder then you will realize that I never killed him, so this is not killing him _again_. He was dragged to hell, not killed. Aiko and her mother were never killed either. Someone brought that up a long time ago... why I am adressing it now, I haven't a clue. They were both condemed to Hell by a demon, or something along those lines.

Others have brought up a good point about wanting to know what happened to Kikyo... well, uh... if I can figure that out myself I will throw it in there at the end or something. In all honesty however, I have not been able to think of anything very appropriate to her situation. After all, she is dead, she does have her soul back, but she's kinda stuck in Hell. If you got an idea or two, by all means let me know.

Some want Inuyasha to be brought back to life, and some like the sad aspect of him staying dead. I think he should stay dead because, well... this is technically a tragedy, and that means the hero dies. I would like to stick to that, but if enough people tell me which they would prefer, I will make do.

Last on the agenda, I would like to thank everyone for still reading this crazy mess of a story. I can honestly say I was going to quit several times (more than you know), but I simply went back and read a couple of reviews here and there. Let me tell those of you that don't write yourselves, it really helps us authors, I am assuming anyway; I know it helped push me through when I was going to stop. Even the most simple reviews gave me the strength I needed to keep on going and finish out this story.

I am gonna guess there is one, _possibly_ two more chapters in this, depending on whether or not Inuyasha is granted life from his -all too kind and generous- big brother.


	34. A Bitter End

A/N: Well, I witnessed a holiday miracle… I sat down on Christmas and was able to crank out some writing in the form of a chapter. I finished this chapter when I was out in MI visiting relatives, so I really had no distractions. Although it isn't the longest in the world, it's something… Happy New Year!!! Hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **Although it's been forever, I still own nothing!!

**Dedication: Vixen-Virus – For editing this chapter, inspiring me, and always helping me when I need it. She is an outstanding author and I implore everyone to check out her work.**

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

**A Bitter End**

_Last time: _

_Sesshomaru unsheathed his sword and pressed it firmly to Ryuu's neck._

"_Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut you down right now."_

_Now:_

Ryuu only sneered when Sesshomaru pressed his blade up against his throat. The great dog demon of the west eyed his adversary closely. The half-breed that came uninvited, unwelcome, into _his_ lands didn't seem scared for his life the slightest bit; in fact, the dragon man seemed to be rather smug.

"Why do you not fear for your life?" The demon lord inquired. "Do you not know who this Sesshomaru is? I will cut you down, and then slay this _human_ that has accompanied you." He spit out the word human like it was some sort of disease that was plaguing the earth¸ which in his eyes, they were.

"Feel free to cut me down _lord_ Sesshomaru, but it would not be a sensible decision on your part." As if to make demon lord even angrier, Ryuu spit out the title much to the same degree, an underline amusement gracing his eyes.

"Do not lecture this Sesshomaru. You are the one that has trespassed no my grounds, you lost all rights when you decided to come here. Not that a half-breed has any rights to begin with." The demon lord smirked as he knew he hit a soft spot in the man, as well as the girl that his half-brother seemed to always be with.

Sesshomaru turned his gaze slightly towards the other human, not taking his eye, or his sword, off the first one at the same time. She stood with her mouth slightly agape, shaking with rage. Fire clearly burned in her eyes at the comment he had made.

He knew what his brother meant to her, as well as what she had meant to him. Sesshomaru knew that she was no ordinary human, not the slightest. He was very well aware that she did not fear him or her own death. Her eyes, although filled with anger, held a deeper meaning in them at the time.

She actually wanted to die… that is, if he didn't help his brother. A distant look was on her face, a look that could only mean one thing. If Inuyasha wasn't with her, her life wasn't worth living.

The demon lord also knew another thing about the predicament he was in. The half dragon youkai's words were true. He could easily kill the man, but that would be a foolish mistake. Sesshomaru was aware of what type of half-demon he was. Dragon youkai were not ones to be trifled with, whether they are half-demon or full. Dragon clans were known for their respect for one another, the close family ties in the clan. No was ever left behind, no one was ever looked down upon as long as they were still in the clan.

Sesshomaru knew that if he were to strike down the dragon in front of him there would be hell to pay. The dragons could sense when one of their own has fallen. It was like a mind link that they all shared. The clan would find out sooner or later and he would have a war on his hands, a war he did not care to take part in.

If they found out that Ryuu had not initiated battle with the demon lord and was killed with no reason, they would attack his kingdom without mercy. Even if there was a reason however, Sesshomaru would expect retaliation. Dragons were not very easy to take down. One dragon Sesshomaru could easily conquer, but if they mobilized against him, he knew there was to be a tougher fight on his hands, and he neither had the time nor the interest in fighting them.

Kagome looked as if she was about to berate the demon lord for the last comment he had made, but before the miko was able to make a sound of protest, Sesshomaru let down his sword and held up his hand to silence her.

_With the others:_

Sango picked up both Shippo and Aiko, taking them away from the battle field all the while trying to console them. Miroku had stayed back surveying the damage and saying a quick prayer for that of the fallen wolf demon. Although the monk had despised Kouga, he would never deny his spirit tranquility. The wolf had made some mistakes in his life; that was certain, but he didn't deserve to be withheld from a peaceful afterlife. Miroku decided against giving the demon a proper burial, simply because of the lack of a full body. There were parts of Kouga that were decimated beyond recognition, and even some that were missing.

Miroku walked back into the surrounding forest to rejoin the others. As he was walking back, his thoughts drifted to the current situation they were in. Inuyasha had been gravely wounded, that was for sure, but he wasn't certain of the hanyou's demise. He had always seen Inuyasha with countless injuries that had the half-demon spewing blood. There was a lot of blood in the clearing, but what was the wolf demon's or Inuyasha's he was unsure. The kit had seemed to figure most of it was Inuyasha's.

Grimacing at the idea of losing Inuyasha made the monks stomach churn. Although Inuyasha would never acknowledge or admit it, the two were close. Miroku was always there to try to console the irate hanyou when needed. Which usually meant he had made a brash comment and made the miko upset. On the contrary Inuyasha was always there, albeit in a more subtle and brusque manner, to help out the monk in his times of need.

Countless times the hanyou had saved their lives. Countless times he had risked his own life for the well being of his companions. Countless times had he suffered vicious wounds due to the rest of the groups inability be there for him, although many of those times had been on his own accord. His reasoning behind the '_I'll do this on my own_' schemes was that the weak humans couldn't handle it. Miroku smiled at that thought. He knew that behind the harsh words he threw at them, he did it because he cared, because they meant something to him, whether he'd admit it or not.

Finding his way back to Sango and the children, Miroku looked up, a sad smile formed on his lips. They were a family of the sorts. A very eccentric and highly dysfunctional family at times, but nonetheless they were a family. He knew that Inuyasha never had that feeling before in his life. From what Miroku knew, Inuyasha only had his mother when he was a child, and even that had been cut short. The hanyou had been through more than the houshi could have ever imagined, but he still found it in his heart to open up to them. Normally it would take hours on end of Kagome's prodding and tormenting, but he would let down his rough exterior only in their presence. Inuyasha trusted them, and in return they trusted him.

Sango's quivering voice brought the monk out of his silent reflection,

"Miroku, what do we do now?"

Her voice was beaten and broken. She sounded so fragile that the slightest breeze could make her simply shatter. Unfortunately, Miroku knew what this meant. The loss of Inuyasha would be their undoing. The truth was, he didn't know where to go from here. His mind had been reeling ever since entering the clearing. He did the only thing possible in the situation they were in. It was what he'd been doing in every though spot the group had come across. He gave them some hope to cling onto.

Miroku knelt down to Aiko's level and placed a hand on her shoulder. With some hope in his eyes he gave the broken child a light squeeze while he spoke,

"We cannot assume the worst. There is always hope that Inuyasha survived his injuries and Kagome and Ryuu took him back to Kaede's while we were on our way here. Inuyasha is strong." And he believed his words. He believed in Inuyasha.

Sango was about to interject, saying that they would have certainly notice them on the way back but after looking into the monk's eyes, she decided against it. He had to give the kids some sort of hope to hold onto, something to save their hearts from completely giving out under the weight and pain that plagued them.

Although the idea seemed highly improbable Sango nodded and gave Shippo and Aiko a small smile. She had a bad feeling about what had happened, but showing the children any sign of despair would more than likely shatter their already cracking hearts.

"Let's head back to the village and see if they are there," Sango held out her hand for Aiko to take.

"What if they aren't there? Then what will we do?" Aiko's voice sounded so weak and frail that Sango nearly broke down in tears after her questions. Looking at the monk for some help, the slayer's silent plea did not go unnoticed.

"Well we can't be sure of anything until we see it for ourselves, now can we? I'm sure everyone's fine and Inuyasha is already recuperating."

Nodding with a little more vigor, Aiko urged the group back to Kaede's hut to find Inuyasha.

_With Inuyasha:_

Sesshomaru stared at his fallen brother. Was it finally time to put their quarrel behind them and move on? He had proven his strength countless times in battle, and had really grown over the years. Sesshomaru had to admit, his hatred for his brother had weakened considerably over the years.

At first he hated the fact that he was indeed, a half demon. He thought of him as weak, never able to reach his full potential as a true demon. Along with being half demon, that also made him -of course- half human. Humans were frail and pathetic in his eyes. They were constantly frightened of their well-being, and always running away from their petty tribulations, and when they faced their problems they would simply get killed in battle or falter under pressure.

Some of those beliefs were banished, however, once the demon lord had encountered Inuyasha's group. Such a strange "family" that they had. Numerous times Sesshomaru would see their worth in battle, their unbelievable amount of knowledge they possessed, and strangely enough, their complete trust in each other.

The slayer was the first one he noticed. She was always willing to fight, even when the odds were stacked against her. She was exceptionally smart for a human, and had the fighting expertise of a warrior. Her mentality was to never back down and never surrender. She was as quick and agile as she was strong and powerful. It astonished him most of the time how she could haul that weapon of hers with little to no difficulty at all. After all it had to weigh nearly as much as she did.

Then his thoughts drifted to that lecherous monk that Inuyasha had befriended. This man was very unique indeed. His mental prowess and calm demeanor came as a shock when he had met the monk for the first time. The houshi never showed any fear, much like Sesshomaru himself, and seemed to never once concern about his own misfortunes. Perhaps it had something to do with the wind tunnel that had been in his right hand, but whatever it was, it made him stronger.

Then there was the futuristic miko that stood before him. She had knelt back down and slowly took his brother into her arms. Tears were brimming at her eyes, as she tried to wipe some blood from his pale face. She was like no other he had ever encountered in his life. Although she seemed afraid of everything, he could sense her strength. When it mattered she could pull her own. The one thing that always left him flabbergasted was her heart. He never had the notion that one could care so much about…everything. Every life she encountered had a place, and her heart opened up to that, especially for his brother. She wanted to help everyone, thought no one deserved to die, and that every life was created equal. He presumed it may be because she was a miko, but it still baffled him to no degree.

Then finally his feelings drifted back to those of his brother. Long ago had he realized that Inuyasha was creditable of his father's blood, but not until now was he able to accept it. If anything, Inuyasha had a bigger heart than that of the girl he had taken a fancy to. He realized that not once did his brother seek revenge on the people in his past that had condemned him. Not once did he ever slay a human for treating him lower than dirt. Not _once _did he ever do _anything_ that Sesshomaru should have been ashamed of.

Kagome and Ryuu had been silent as they watched the demon lord ponder his thoughts. He had already sheathed his weapon and now placed a hand on his father's sword. They didn't want to disturb the feelings that seemed to be whirling around in his mind. If they kept quiet, then maybe he would help them.

Sesshomaru let out a quiet sigh and looked into the hopeful eyes of the two before him. Letting go of the sword in his hand he pressed his hand to his temple as if to massage his brain after giving the situation serious contemplation.

"Follow this Sesshomaru inside. Bring Inuyasha into one of the guest rooms."

Without another sound the great demon lord quickly twisted on his feet and began to walk back into the castle. As he turned around he almost smirked at the miko's obvious bewildered expression. It was the first time in his life that he had called his brother by his name, without any trace of hatred in his voice. Whether he could save him or not, perhaps this was where his hatred for his half brother finally came to a bitter end.

* * *

So how many of you thought that the title meant Inuyasha was going to stay dead and this was it? Well, hopefully I can get out another chapter or two.

I'd like to apologize to anyone that had been reading this story. Not updating in over a year is inexcusable. I can sit here all day and complain about shit, but I won't. All I can say is that I tried my best and for those of you who might still be reading, I hope you like it. I do plan on finishing this out within January though. I'm not going to make promises –because we know I can't seem to hold true to them- but that is my plan. As to my other story that I began not so recently, I also plan on starting that up again.

I want to thank all of you who read my story and also those who were kind enough to leave a review. Going back over the reviews really helped me pull myself together and finally try to write. All I ask of you is to, yet again; give me a review with your opinions and thoughts.


	35. Where I Belong

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

**Where I belong**

_Last Time:_

_"Follow this Sesshomaru inside. Bring Inuyasha into one of the guest rooms."_

_Whether he could save him or not, perhaps this was where his hatred for his half brother finally came to a bitter end._

_Now:_

Surprised wasn't nearly enough to describe what Kagome had felt the moment Sesshomaru had told them to go inside. She had even shaken her head a little bit as if to make sure she had heard correctly. She looked to Ryuu for a silent confirmation of the situation and he nodded his head, and then motioned for her to proceed into the castle.

After giving her best efforts to lift her fallen hanyou, Ryuu smiled a bit, then picked up Inuyasha himself and walked into through the large oak doors of the balcony. Quickly catching up with Ryuu, Kagome fell into step with the other half-demon as they tried to catch up with Inuyasha's brother.

After a few moments of walking, the two had come to a fork in the hallway, and while looking at each other with uncertain faces, Rin had popped out of the corridor on the left.

"This way, Lord Sesshomaru is waiting."

Without another word, the girl dashed off down the hallway expecting the others to follow.

As Kagome and Ryuu neared the next curve in the narrow passage, the girl from the future couldn't help but gaze at the items lining the massive stone walls. About every fifteen to twenty feet, were large pillars that were slightly protruding from the walls. On each of the pillars there was a golden torch with its flame ablaze. In between the columns on the left, were large paintings, and on the right were sets of armor with varying weapons in their hands. Some held large halberds that nearly reached the ceiling, while others had swords or maces.

Switching her gaze back on the pathway before her, Kagome could see Sesshomaru waiting for them with his right hand still on his Tenseiga, drumming the hilt with his claws impatiently. As they approached the dog demon motioned them to go inside the room.

Sesshomaru's castle was definitely extravagant. Kagome would have to guess that the guest room was at least the size of the entire second floor back at her house in her era. Looking around, the miko noticed that the room held many items a normal room would.

In the middle against the far wall had to be the largest bed she had ever seen. It was on a sturdy wood frame, which appeared to be mahogany, and had red velvet hanging from the top and cornering the rims at the bottom. Four giant pillows lay at the head of the bed, and each had a crescent moon on them.

On either side of the bed were two large glass windows that looked out into the courtyard of the castle, with a perfect view of the fountain and garden.

To the left -of the fortress of a bed- was a nightstand that was also made of the same dark polished wood. It had three drawers going down to the bottom with two golden handles on each one. On the top were an oil lamp and a small picture frame.

To the right was a desk. A large candle sat on the left side, and on the right part were a few books and scrolls. In the middle were some blank parchment and a few quills with a small bottle of ink.

There were a few large paintings on each of the walls. One was a beautiful landscape portrait of the castle with the sun rising in the background. The other was a painting of a demon woman. She had long silver hair and smooth tan skin. Her golden eyes held the same type of fiery glow as Sesshomaru's did. The miko could only assume that this had to be his mother.

"Time is of the essence human, hurry and set him on the bed."

Not needing to be told twice, Ryuu put Inuyasha on the large bed in the middle of the room and stepped back to give the demon lord space.

Unsheathing his father's sword, Sesshomaru held it in his hand with his eyes fixed on his brother's body. With his intense stare on his dead brother, the inu-youkai searched for the demons of the netherworld. After what seemed like forever, his gaze moved to that of the weapon in his hands. After willing his father's fang to lend him its power, Sesshomaru gripped the hilt a little harder.

Kagome had been watching… waiting… praying that she would be able to see her hanyou again. After the seconds passed into minutes, she began to worry. Pain began filling her soul, and her heart began to tighten.

"Will it not work? Is… s-something wrong?"

Her voice was shaky and uncertain. It was evident that she was on the verge of breaking down. She had almost assumed that everything would work out. She didn't know it was possible for the sword to _not_ work. What would she do now? Was there any reason to stay in the feudal era any longer? Sure, she had her friends, but would they be worth the heart ache of being reminded of Inuyasha every time she looked at them? Sesshomaru's voice broke her out of her thoughts,

"Perhaps it was not meant to be."

At that point, Kagome felt herself go weak at the knees and collapse to the ground. Ryuu quickly went to her side in an effort to consol the girl. Crouching down to her level, he gave Kagome a sad look. She then let her tears fall free and balled her small fists in his shirt.

Sesshomaru turned away from Inuyasha and he was met with Rin, who was standing a few feet away. With a tear stained face, she looked at the demon lord with pain etched in her features. She could see the apologetic look in the youkai's eyes. Although his countenance had not changed, Rin could see that deep within his golden orbs, there was a sense of remorse and pain.

_With the others:_

Making it to the edge of the forest, the two children ran across the field to the hut ahead of Miroku and Sango. Wanting nothing more than to see Inuyasha and Kagome in the hut, Shippo and Aiko raced past a few of the villagers without giving them a second glance.

"What are we going to tell them if they aren't here Miroku? What are we going to tell _ourselves _if they aren't here?"

"I don't know Sango, but if not here, then where? Surly they wouldn't just leave. Ryuu caught up with them in the battle, so they must have gone somewhere. Perhaps he took Kagome to the well. The medicines from her era may have been able to help him more than Kaede."

"Still, there's no way Kagome would leave without telling us, or sending Ryuu to tell us. Inuyasha is the only one who can go to her era anyway, so what could Ryuu possibly be doing; sitting there waiting!"

Sango had almost become angry at the houshi, but it was just her way of venting her obvious torment and frustration. She looked at the monk who in turn just gave her an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry Miroku but… I just don't like being so helpless. Our friends are out there somewhere, injured and in need of help, but we can't do anything about it!"

Before Miroku had the chance to answer the slayer, Shippo and Aiko had come out of the hut with their heads down and Kaede in toe. He was at a loss for words when the heart wrenching looks from the children met his eyes.

Sango instantly dropped to her knees and with arms open embraced the kit and young girl when they crashed into her body. Sobs wracking their small bodies, the children clung onto the slayer like she was a lifeline. Kaede then approached the group and with a solemn expression gracing her features, she spoke,

"All ye can do is wait here for Kagome's return and hope for the best. Inuyasha is a fighter and I'm sure he will pull through. Sango, why don't ye take the little ones inside the hut; I have some stew and tea prepared."

Nodding, the demon-slayer scooped up Shippo and Aiko in her arms, and then headed towards the hut.

"I have a feeling that I may know why ye companions have not returned yet."

Miroku looked at the elder miko with a questioning glance. "You do? I can't think of anywhere they might go other than Kagome's time… unless-"

"Sesshomaru."

That was it. It had to be… it was the only reasonable explanation to their disappearance. Miroku got a hopeful look in his eyes, but just seconds later, he faltered again. Looking gloomy once again he glanced back at Kaede with a mournful expression. If they indeed were at the demons castle, that could only mean that they needed his help… or at least his swords help.

The houshi wasn't sure if the great dog demon of the west would be willing to do anything to help his half-brother. There wasn't even a decent chance that he would, and that thought brought Miroku's mood down even further.

Seeing his obvious distress, Kaede gave him some encouragement. Although she also knew that the brothers were not fond of one another, she had a feeling that everything might be okay.

"Do not give up hope. Ye forget that even though the two may not like each other, they have looked out for one another in battle, several times against Naraku. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru aren't close, but ye also must remember that they are still kin."

"While that may be true Kaede, I don't know if that's enough…"

"Have some faith young monk." With a reassuring smile, Kaede left Miroku to his thoughts.

'_She's right. I have to have faith and believe in my friends.'_ The houshi's eyes lingered on his right hand, studying it and remembering what used to be there, _'they always supported and believed in me. I can't let them down now.'_

Clenching his hand in a fist, Miroku strode back to the hut with determination and hope in his eyes. When he walked into the hut, he noticed that Aiko and Shippo were fast asleep on the cot in the corner. Sango was sipping some tea while Kaede mixed some herbs.

His eyes soon became heavy when he realized that no one had really gotten much sleep in the last couple of days. They hadn't slept at all the previous night when Inuyasha and Kouga had their final traces of their friends. The monk then turned to too Sango who looked equally exhausted.

"They may be at Sesshomaru's castle. It has to be the only reason as to why they have not returned yet."

Sango, with droopy eyes, seemed to consider the possibility in her head before slowly nodding in agreement.

"That would make sense but that also means Inuyasha…" Not wanting to finish her sentence, the slayer left her thought hanging in the air. She didn't want to think the worst of what happened to Inuyasha. With tears pricking her eyes, she scooted over closer to Miroku.

Seeing the woman he loved in so much pain hurt the monk to the core. Wrapping his arm around Sango's body, he leaned back into the wall and closed his eyes. After silently saying a quick prayer for his friends, Miroku finally joined the others in slumber.

Not wanting to disturb anyone, Kaede decided it would be best to go outside. Motioning for the small neko-youkai to follow her, the elder priestess stepped out into the warm morning sun. She closed her eyes as she felt a warm aura enclose her being. As the wind whipped through her grey hair, and gently caressed the elder miko's frail and aging body, she felt a familiar presence and smiled.

"Kirara, can ye travel to the western lands to lord Sesshomaru's castle? I want ye to see if Kagome and Inuyasha are there."

With a light mew, the twin-tailed feline transformed into her larger form and in a burst of flames, took off over the trees to the west. Lingering right outside of the hut until the cat was no longer in sight, Kaede then decided to make her rounds and set forth towards the village.

_With Kagome:_

Sesshomaru began to walk out of the room to try to give the others their space. He was met with Kagome's look of utter defeat when he got to the door. With one last glance at the miko, he left the room.

Before the great dog demon got too far, he felt a pulse of energy at his hip. Looking down to his waist at Tenseiga, he saw the waves of power that had begun to wrap around it. Turning on his feet, Sesshomaru went back to the room where his fallen brother lay.

When he got there, the miko had moved to the bed and was crying too hard to notice his return. Walking back to the foot of the bed, Sesshomaru cleared his throat,

"Move aside miko."

Instantly Kagome's head snapped up at the request. Hesitantly, she got off of the bed and stood next to Ryuu, who was now standing by a chair in the corner of the room. Unsure of what was going to happen now, Kagome watched as the inu-youkai before her drew his father's fang for the second time.

Sesshomaru could now see the small demons clinging to the arms and legs of his brother, trying to drag his soul to the afterlife. Then with one quick slash of steel, the tiny gremlins of the netherworld were no more. Instantly Inuyasha's wounds began to heal, and the life in his body was returning.

Ryuu stood in awe at the sight before him. Sesshomaru had just sliced his sword through the air above his fallen friend, and in a matter of seconds, he could already see Inuyasha's skin return to a normal color. Never before had he witnessed something so amazing. He could feel the energy and warmth of the sword as it gave life to his comrade.

What was more incredible than the power of the sword was the amount of spiritual energy that had enveloped the entire room. They could all feel the intense aura that was surrounding them, consuming them with its warm presence. The questioning looks that they all had on their faces was because the energy around them was not coming from Kagome.

She wasn't sure how she had gotten here, but it was much better than where she was before. The being wandered around giant castle looking for something; although she was unsure of what exactly she was trying to find, she let her instincts guide her.

Walking silently down the corridors, the spirit came to a large staircase. When she got to the top there was a large door. Reaching for the handle, she jumped a little when her hand went right through it. Realizing that she was just a spirit in this world, the ghost gracefully floated right through the large wooden door.

Turning a corner and going down the hall, she came upon a demon. Instantly she recognized him as one she would have known in her previous life. Sesshomaru; that was his name, it was almost as if she'd forgotten everything she knew. Her memories seemed too distant to comprehend. When she approached him, that's when it happened. Not really knowing what she was doing, the spirit reached for the sword at the demons hip, and when she touched it, the weapon began to pulse.

When he turned around and walked back to where he'd come, the priestess followed him. When she looked in the room, her memories instantly came rushing back…

'_Inuyasha!'_

Amber eyes slowly began to open. Adjusting to the brightness of the room, Inuyasha looked to his side to see Kagome with his hand in hers. Her eyes were slightly swollen and red from crying. As more tears came down her face, he reached up with a clawed finger and gently wiped them away. Smiling at his miko, Inuyasha tried to sit up a bit, but then fell back down to the bed in exhaustion. Then the miko at his side spoke up in a quite disbelieving voice,

"Inuyasha… you've come back to me."

Collapsing on the hanyou, Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. Wrapping an arm around the girl, Inuyasha looked around the room. Sesshomaru was standing a few feet from the bed and Ryuu was not far behind him. Rin was at his brother's feet and smiling up at him.

Inuyasha locked eyes with his brother, and for the first time in his life, he was happy he had family. Smiling for the first time in his brother's presence, the inu-hanyou gave him a curt nod of appreciation. While Sesshomaru didn't smile back, he did give Inuyasha a nod that could only mean 'you're welcome'.

The demon lord turned to leave motioning for Rin and Ryuu to follow. Before Ryuu walked out he gave Inuyasha a big grin,

"Welcome back. I knew you were too stubborn to stay dead."

With a chuckle, Inuyasha turned his gaze back to the miko who was in his arms. After he heard the door close he gently placed his hand under her chin and lifted it up so she would meet his gaze. Never before had he ever been happier than this moment. He had his Kagome back, or she had him back, and everything seemed right in the world.

He then turned his intense gaze to a spot at the far end of the room and smiled again,

'_Thank you Kikyo. I hope you can rest in peace.'_

Smiling back at the hanyou she loved, the spirit nodded as she began to fade into nothing.

Inuyasha lifted himself and his miko off of the bed and slipped the covers out from underneath them and snuggled under them. Kagome had fallen asleep with a smile on her face and he'd be damned if he woke her now. Snuggling closer to the girl in his arms, Inuyasha closed his eyes and soon he too fell asleep with a smile gracing his features; he was finally where he belonged.

Ryuu was currently sitting in his room that was a bit further down the hall. Sesshomaru had surprisingly allowed him to stay at the castle with his friends and the hanyou couldn't believe it. Perhaps the great dog demon was going soft?

Not being able to sleep, the dragon man decided to walk around for a while. Eventually finding his way out of the very confusing and intricate castle, Ryuu found himself in the garden. Slowly walking around and enjoying the gentle morning breeze along with the serene atmosphere, the man began collecting his thoughts of the previous few days.

Before he had met Kaede, Ryuu was a bit of a loner. Although the other dragons in his clan accepted him, putting aside his half-demon status, he never felt at home while he was with them. He always felt out of place. In hopes of finding a place to belong, he set out on a journey of self-discovery. Throughout his travels he had witnessed many things.

Due to the fact that he would transform every night, the dragon got a close look into the lives of humans. Traveling by night and spending the day in different villages gave him plenty of time to adapt to the human customs. He soon became so used to being a human, that he almost forgot he wasn't. In one village he had briefly forgotten and because of his carelessness, there had been dire consequences…

Temporarily pausing his thoughts to sniff a rose, Ryuu frowned at where his ponderings had lead him. It wasn't particularly a memory he was fond of. Releasing a sigh, he looked up at the horizon to see the sun rising over the treetops. Drifting back to his thoughts the half-demon grimaced at the memory. It was the night he realized that he would never be able to completely fit in with humans.

He had been too caught up with being human and making a life in the village that he'd forgotten what happened when the sun would go down. He was with some of the village elders when it happened. He had felt a pulse and then instantly, reality came crashing down on him. He had tried with all his might to escape the village and into the surrounding forest, but it was too late.

Ryuu had transformed before he could make it out, and the power of his youkai had been unleashed on the village. His body pulsed and began to grow, knocking over a few huts in the process. The village was far too small and his body mass as a dragon was just too much. Several of the villagers had died simply from being crushed. He was also forced to take flight to escape crushing anything else, which in turn created gusts of wind. It was like a small tornado formed as his wings beat down on the town. When he flew away, he looked back and saw that nearly half the village lay in ruins.

After that he had closed himself off and never stayed at a village after mid-day. He was on the verge of giving up hope when he ran into Kaede. The old lady was kind and understanding. When she mentioned that the people that stayed with her consisted of two demons, three humans, and a half-demon, a spark of hope came to his eyes.

'_Then I met Inuyasha and his friends.' _

A smile graced the hanyou's face. He'd found somewhere to belong.

Looking up from the small pond that was in the corner of the garden, Ryuu could see something on the horizon heading towards the castle. As the creature came closer, he could see that it was a neko-youkai.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, there you have it! I wanted to throw in a little extra for our buddy Ryuu at the end there. I hope that everyone is satisfied with what I thought up for Kikyo's end in this tale.

I plan on having one more chapter to finish this up. I tried to make this a bit longer for you guys considering the obnoxiously long wait you all had to endure. I don't know when I will think it up, but hopefully it will be soon. Review and tell me what you think!


	36. Author's Note: Important

**Author's Note**

I know I promised to never make an author's note a chapter, but after five years of this story, I figured that anyone that was still clinging on to the hope that I will finish it, deserves to hear some news.

Yes, I will finish it, it means too much to me to let it go. Yes, I did start on the last chapter recently and it's going well so far. I may not have the same abilities as writer due to a few years of inactivity, but I promise to make it the best I can.

I do not know when I will finish the last chapter. It could be very soon, it could be weeks, or months. But I will say, it WILL NOT be years. I'm ashamed of what I made you guys wait through (if anyone is still around), and I will not make you wait that long again.

At least every other day, I sit down and try to write a little something, whether that be a sentence, a paragraph, or five pages. I am slowly trying to get myself into a groove to make this last chapter happen. I will not force it, and I will not rush it, but I will put forth as much effort as I can.

I'd like the thank anyone that took the time to read this, and I'd also like to thank anyone that is still a fan of mine after all these years. You guys are what's keeping me determined to see this story through to the end. I'd like to hear from you guys and any thoughts or comments that you might have. Hearing from my fans might just give me that extra push that I need.

With love and appreciation

-theruthlesscow


	37. New Beginnings

**A/N: **Please read my notes at the bottom. It's a lot, but it's important to me. If you take the time to read all my hard work, please take a few extra minutes to read my notes.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing other than my ideas, and my own made up characters, Aiko and Ryuu.

**Warnings: **Sexual content. Language.

**Dedication: **All of my readers, and especially those of you whom I still talk to after so many years, you know who you are

**A very special thanks: **To the notorious Inugrrrl for proofreading this final chapter and helping me make it the best it could be for you guys. She was amazing and really pointed out all of my flaws. Mainly grammar…

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Six**

**New Beginnings**

_Last time:_

_Looking up from the small pond that was in the corner of the garden, Ryuu could see something on the horizon heading towards the castle. As the creature came closer, he saw that it was a neko-youkai_.

_Now:_

Daybreak came with a slightly warm breeze and a sense of tranquility in the air. The birds began to sing their songs of joy and the animals around the castle began to come to life. Even the trees swayed ever so gently in the wind, whispering through the leaves, letting the forest know that everything was alright.

As the cat came closer, Ryuu took a deep relaxing breath, letting the wildlife around him send peaceful waves of energy through his body. It was almost as if the mornings' events of reviving Inuyasha had put nature itself at ease; like nature had accepted and welcomed home the fallen comrade and was showing it's appreciation. The dragon man smiled when he recognized the feline and gestured towards the flying twin-tail to land in the courtyard.

Kirara descended, and in a burst of flames, the cat transformed into a much smaller and much less threatening bundle of fur. Ryuu chuckled as the cat leapt up on his shoulder and licked his chin. Scratching the neko behind the ear Ryuu headed back towards the castle, hoping he wouldn't get lost in the complex corridors when trying to find Sesshomaru.

"Don't worry Kirara, everyone is fine," Ryuu mentioned with a sigh of relief and happiness. "Everyone is perfectly fine." The kitten let out a soft meow and rubbed her head against the man's face, displaying her understanding.

Luckily for Ryuu, Sesshomaru had been wandering the first floor when the dragon re-entered the castle. Walking up to the proud tai-youkai, Ryuu bowed slightly, now respecting him for what he had done. At first, the hanyou didn't like him, but after he'd saved Inuyasha, he discarded his initial judgment.

"Sesshomaru-sama," he greeted formally, "I'd like to thank-you for saving Inuyasha. I was also wondering how long you would allow us to stay here. Inuyasha and Kagome will probably need to take some time to recover, so I was hoping you wouldn't mind if we remained here until we could head back at nightfall."

Hardly glancing at the half-demon, the older youkai grunted in response, "I care not what you do, just as long as you stay out of this Sesshomaru's way." Walking away from the stunned dragon he added, "And while my servants will accommodate your needs, this Sesshomaru suggests that you do not overstay your welcome, seeing as you were never welcome to begin with."

Standing with his mouth slightly agape, Ryuu wondered what happened to bring about this attitude. Didn't he just save his brother and bring him back to life? In doing so, he assumed the demon would be a little friendlier toward them. Nevertheless, rather than be upset, he was simply grateful to have Inuyasha alive.

'_Still, that was kind of cold.' _Brushing his thoughts aside, he and Kirara ventured back to his room.

_With Inuyasha and Kagome:_

The hanyou rolled over onto his side as he woke from his slumber, the bones in his body cracking and popping as if he'd been in hibernation. He opened his eyes to see the most beautiful face looking right back at him. Long raven tresses flowed like a waterfall, cascading down her smooth porcelain-like skin. Her cheeks were flushed a little bit, accenting the contours of her face. Long eyelashes fluttered open to reveal the most gorgeous eyes he'd ever seen. Deep pools of brown clashed with amber, and the half-demon had to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Hey," he managed to croak out, suddenly at a loss for words.

"Hey yourself," Kagome responded with a radiant smile, that made her hanyou gulp again, not quite knowing how to respond.

"I… I was so scared that I'd lost you. That I'd never-"

Quickly overcoming his previous bout of shyness, Inuyasha brought his claw up and gently placed his finger over her lips, effectively cutting off anything his miko was about to say. He only removed his finger to replace it with his own lips, kissing her with all of the passion and emotion he could possibly muster.

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around the small of her back, drawing her near and Kagome's hands found themselves bundled in his red haori, bringing him as close to her body as she could. The miko didn't want so much as a puff of air between them as delicate fingers traveled to flowing white hair, entangling them. In response, the half-demon rolled over, pinning the object of his affections beneath him.

Needing to take a breath, yet not wanting the slightest hint of separation, the two reluctantly broke apart for much-needed oxygen only to have their lips reunite, succumbing to the feral desire to quench a thirst that had gone unsatisfied for far too long. The woman moaned as deadly fangs brushed against her lips, sending waves of electricity through her very core.

Panting heavily and propped up on his elbows, Inuyasha did the one thing that he thought was impossible and stopped his assault, managing to seize the small thread of self control that kept him from going over the edge. He stared down at the flustered beauty before him and saw true love in the depths of her cocoa eyes. He saw the love, the commitment, the faith, the trust, and the pure, unconditional acceptance.

'_Acceptance… that was the one thing I thought I would never obtain. Mother accepted me, but was that out of love or obligation? How could she possibly accept what I was? My very existence was the cause of her death.'_

Inuyasha continued to stare at the futuristic maiden, remembering how she'd changed his very world by practically flipping it upside down on him.

'_I have a family now, a family all my own. A family that will always be here for me and she's the one who made it happen. Kagome… She judged me for who I was, not _what_ I was… Maybe that's how mother felt as well.'_

Kagome looked up at her hanyou with pleading eyes, silently telling him that this was what she wanted. This was what she needed. She wanted nothing more than to be the solace to his aching soul, to be the unmovable rock that he could cling to in times of uncertainty. She wanted to be his everything.

Realizing that she would have to be very forward when dealing with her tentative hanyou, Kagome sat up and pushed him off of herself slightly. Before Inuyasha could protest, his miko –in record time- shed all of her clothes, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. Her half-demon's mouth hit the floor at the sight and he seemed to be frozen in place. Kagome, surprising even herself with her confidence and boldness, took the opportunity to untie his haori as well and push it off his shoulders.

"Don't make me wait any longer Inuyasha. You can do more than look," the miko rather bashfully proclaimed.

Certainly not needing to be told twice, the now very naked hanyou pushed the women back onto the bed, straddling her waist. Realizing that his miko wanted everything that he wanted, Inuyasha descended onto her, his mouth and tongue running across every square inch of flesh it could find. His mouth sought hers and their tongues dueled for dominance as his hand found its way to her breasts, massaging and pinching her nipples.

The blanket was kicked to the end of the bed, the pillows lay forgotten scattered across the floor. Clothing had also been tossed aside, its owners not caring where it landed in the slightest. Inuyasha hovered above his miko, waiting for one final confirmation; he was aching with desire and ready to make her his mate. Trusting, confident eyes looked back at him, her answer clear.

_With the others:_

By the time the monk had awoken it was nearly mid-day. Miroku could feel a change in the atmosphere. Inuyasha's forest had been crying the previous night, restless and angry, mourning the loss of its protector. This afternoon, however, the tree's almost seemed…happy.

Walking to the edge of the forest, the monk stuck his shakujou into the ground and closed his eyes. The rings on his staff danced in the wind, a calmness and understanding settling over the monk. While Miroku couldn't decipher the significance, he hoped that it meant something good for all of them. Best case scenario, Inuyasha was now back in the land of the living. Worst case, this change in the wind could simply mean his soul was put to rest and he was at peace. Which wouldn't be _bad _news, but not the news the monk would want to bring back to the others. Dismissing the eerie sense of peace, Miroku yanked his staff from the ground and strolled back inside Kaede's home, pondering what had just occurred.

When the houshi entered the hut, he found the demon slayer rising from her cot in the corner of the small room. When she stretched, he couldn't help himself but admire her beauty. Approaching his target quietly and stealthily, his hand began to reach out…

"Monk, if that hand comes one inch closer, you're going to lose it."

"Now Sango, my dearest, I was simply coming inside to ask if you had a nice rest," the monk in question answered a little _too_ quickly.

Turning around to glare at the hentai, the exterminator's glower turned into a frown of frustration and sadness. Sensing this wasn't the time for another wisecrack, Miroku motioned for the slayer to join him outside to avoid disturbing the children.

Walking with no true destination, the couple was silent for a good while, letting the calmness of the wind placate their tired and weary souls, they found themselves in an interesting location.

"The sacred tree," they acknowledged in unison.

Sitting down at the base of it, the monk pulled the youkai slayer onto his lap and leaned against the aging bark with a deep and heavy sigh, questioning how he'd live with himself if he'd ever lost her, but also wondering how Kagome would survive if she lost Inuyasha again.

Disturbing his thoughts, Sango spoke up. "Your thinking about Inuyasha and Kagome, aren't you?"

"I know you are too. I know that you are feeling the same as I."

Leaning her head back on the monk's shoulder and resting her head in the crook of his neck, she took a deep calming breath. "Yes, I am. I can't help but think about what's happening. I'm scared, and I don't know what to do. I'm so worried, and yet there's no way to fight my fears. Images of that battlefield haunt me and it seems hopeless, Miroku. I feel completely helpless because there's nothing I can do but wait."

Not wanting to make her feel worse, the houshi decided to take her thoughts in a different direction. Glancing up into the large branches, Miroku felt as though the Goshinboku was holding them in a protective embrace. Its leaves rustled lightly in the wind, trying to calm their fears and the branches creeked ever so quietly, telling them that it would be okay.

"This tree means so much. A lot more to Inuyasha and Kagome, but still, it holds meaning for us as well. While we may not have the same link to the tree of ages, we do have a strong connection to Inuyasha and Kagome. Our hanyou friend has been though so much since he was released from this tree, many good things, as well as many bad things. Do you recall, Sango, when Inuyasha prevented you from killing your brother?"[1]

Not exactly enjoying the thought at first, the slayer grimaced, "Yes, I remember it like it was yesterday. He… saved Kohaku that day. He saved me from myself as well."

Sango realized that this wasn't a bad memory, but a good one. She remembered how determined Inuyasha had been to look out for her, to save her brother. His eye's said it all when he stared her down after he knocked her sword away. His intense gaze penetrated her barriers and spoke to her soul… The golden orbs promised her that he would always fight for her, help her, and protect her. While his outward demeanor was usually unruly and abrasive, the look in his eyes had always sworn her the thing she thought she'd lost forever… a family.

"Do you remember Miroku, when he stopped you from the very same thing?"

He remembered it for sure; it would be a memory never forgotten. When he thought he couldn't bare the burden of the wind tunnel any longer, he decided to take the easy way out, rather than risk the lives of his comrades. He wanted to give up. He wanted to throw in the towel. [2]

"Inuyasha is a man of few words my dear Sango. He saved me that day, not with a long speech, but by simply reminding me of what was important, by reminding me of what I hold dear and what I should fight for. He wasn't condemning, he didn't even act like he knew what I was planning… but he knew exactly what to say."

Sango smiled at Miroku's words. No, the half-demon was never one to talk much, nor give sound advice. The thing he never once failed to do, however, was be there for them when they needed him. Without faltering, he was always the one they could count on to never give up.

"To think, we had both given up hope, but we had Inuyasha there to guide us and help us understand what it means to fight for something. Yet, he… he never had anyone. How many times did he go through our very situations, Sango?

He had to deal with being alone nearly his entire life, but he never gave up. When I compare our situations, our reasons for wanting to give up seem stupid. It shows how strong he truly is."

The exterminator nodded her head in agreement. Yes, their half-demon comrade was more of an influence and idol than he would ever give himself credit for. His life was basically a model of what it would take to become someone amazing. Despite the trials, difficulties, persecution, and disappointments he had to endure, he always stayed strong.

"Do you feel that Sango? Do you feel the sacred tree speaking to us?"

Smiling and relaxing, Sango inhaled deeply, letting the aura of the tree surround her. She had a had a good feeling about toady, and she wasn't going to give up hope because she knew even in the darkest of times, that Inuyasha, her friend, her brother, her family… would never give up on her. She felt Miroku's arms tighten around her, and she knew with out words, that he was thinking the same thing.

_With Inuyasha and Kagome:_

Blue eyes lazily opened and stared at the white ceiling above her, her eyes following the embroidered pattern that stretched from one end of the room to the other. Leaning her head to the side, the young women noticed an open door, leading to a bathroom. Upon the sight of the 'Oval Office' the girl began to squirm with a need to… preform a certain bodily function. Not quite understanding why she was unable to reach her destination, she took an exasperated huff, and looked down at the arms that were locked around her waist. Trying with all of her might, the miko attempted to unlock the chains that bound her to the confines of the bed –to no avail. She would have to resort to drastic action: If he wouldn't let her go, she would just have… _distract_ him by using any means necessary.

With a smirk as sly as a fox, Kagome relaxed until the arms around her loosened their grip. Hoping that her plan wouldn't backfire, she reached under the covers, searching for her _leverage_ in this situation and smiled devilishly when her hand reached its destination. She grabbed the object firmly and began to massage it. The shaft quickly began to harden and the body it was connected to started to squirm and buck, wanting to heighten the sensations.

The arms around her loosened enough for an escape, and while she could have easily left it at that, she decided a little more torture was in order. Kagome positioned herself on her hands and knees at the foot of the bed, her hand still grasping the object of her torment. Fully erect and practically pulsing with need, the girl slipped her mouth over the member, sheathing it completely.

He was enjoying his mate's strokes, wanting nothing more than for her to continue. He released her and let her adjust herself on the bed and waited for her to continue, his golden eyes shooting wide open when he felt the heat of her mouth completely engulfing him in one motion. Propping himself up on his elbows, to make sure he wasn't dreaming, what he saw made him roll his head back in pure pleasure. His usually timid miko had the full length of him submersed in her mouth and began to roll her tongue across the top of him, making him squeeze his eyes shut. She sucked hard and brought her head back up, letting the crisp air hit him with force. She then grabbed his butt in both her hands, pushed him closer to her, and slammed her mouth over him again taking him all the way, letting him hit the back of her throat. The action made the hanyou grip the headboard of the bed so hard, that it split down the middle, breaking under the pressure.

Her torture now complete, while her half-demon was panting heavily, she gave him one last lick. Then, in an instant, she jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom grinning so evilly it could have put Naraku's to shame. Bewildered, and now angry, Inuyasha lay back on the bed with a pulsing need below his waist that was not satisfied.

'_She did NOT just do that. Who in the HELL does she think she is?!'_

After Kagome gave in to her need to pee, she sat on the lid of the toilet wondering what was going on beyond the closed door. She was afraid that she may have gone a bit too far in her torture for it was quiet… _too_ quiet.

Getting up, she inched closer and closer to the door like a mouse approaching a trap. Praying that the trap didn't spring on her when she emerged, Kagome shakily reached for the handle, griping it and taking a gulp before turning it ever so gently.

Peeking from a small crack, the girl couldn't see her hanyou anywhere, but knowing all too well that he could be hiding, she didn't come out right away. But a few cautious steps showed no sign of him anywhere. She checked under the bed, looked in every corner… How did he vanish?

'_He didn't get so mad that he left, did he?'_

Instantly feeling guilty of what she'd done, Kagome called out for him a few times, but received no reply. Preparing to put on her robe and go looking for him, she stopped when she heard running water.

'_That's strange, how could he have gotten in there with out me noticing?'_

Not really knowing if it was a good idea to follow the sounds back into the bathroom, Kagome threw caution to the wind and threw the door open… Standing there in all his glory was Inuyasha, with a smirk on _his_ face. He was still fully aroused and the look of love and desire in his eyes clearly told her that he was _far_ from finished with her. Her hanyou didn't like being tricked and she was going to pay for her actions.

She took a few involuntary steps backward, not out of fear, but because she realized she had inadvertently set herself up for this. The miko may have initiated the trap, but _she_ was the one ensnared and there was no escape. Squeaking in surprise at the feel of his arms around her, she was shocked by the fact that she never even saw him move. Kagome was a goner.

"You know Kagome… it's not nice the entice your _mate_ that way and then not finish the job. I think I'm going to have to teach you a lesson."

His voice dripped with passion and lust, his words rolling off his tongue slowly, traced with conviction. She was now at his mercy and there was nothing she could do to stop him. Drawing back the curtain to the large bathtub, Inuyasha stepped in with his miko still in his arms and closed it behind him. With a smirk that was just as evil as the one he had received, he pushed her back against the wall.

One thought went through her mind before he made his all out assault and she inwardly giggled, _'Yup… it backfired, but if this is what being mates is going to be like, I think it's something I can get used to.'_

_With the others:_

Miroku and Sango returned to the hut a while later feeling much better and a bit more relaxed. They weren't sure what to tell the children yet, but they both knew that they had to keep an optimistic attitude, if not for themselves and their own worries, then for Shippo and Aiko.

Miroku was concerned that if they didn't keep their optimism at a maximum it would make it that much harder for the children to move past this. The monk thought back to last night, and felt bad for the children.

_~x~x~x~Flashback to last night~x~x~x~_

_The demon slayer was already sound asleep, a slight frown marring her beautiful face. The houshi brushed a loose strand of hair from her face and smiled a weary and apathetic smile, not at all hiding the emotions that he wanted to keep inside. While he had been contemplating the course of action the group would take come morning, the girl that had been curled up next to Sango sat up with droopy eyes. She rubbed at them, trying to fight away the sleep. Glancing up, Aiko saw that the monk was still awake and was looking back at her._

"_I have to pee. I can go by myself, but where should I go?"_

_Realizing that Kaede's home didn't have a proper facility for the girl, the monk stood._

"_You'll have to use one of the bathrooms in the main huts closer to town. Come, I'll take you. There's no way I'm going to let you wander around alone at night." With a small smirk he added, "We both know Inuyasha will have my hide if I allowed that to happen."_

_With his mentioning of the hanyou, he had hoped to cheer the girl up, indicating that he would be fine and back to his old grumpy self. The smile on the girl's face proved him right, and together, they headed out of the hut._

_While they were walking, Miroku noticed the girl walking extremely slow, not at all hurrying to relieve herself. Realizing that maybe the girl wanted to talk, the monk cleared his throat with a small cough._

"_You may not know me very well yet, but if there is anything you want to talk about, I'm all ears."_

_Miroku knew from watching her, and from what Inuyasha had told him, that this girl's mind was way ahead of her age. _

_She peeked up at the monk, gazing into his soft, understanding eyes. She realized that if he was such a good friend of Inuyasha's, he could be easily trusted._

"_My whole life I was an outcast. No one wanted to be around me other than my mother. My father died before I was born, so I never knew him. For six years… my mother and I were trapped in a world of nightmares." _

_Her voice was quiet, but slightly ragged, her emotions showing how much she'd been through at such a young age. Miroku guessed that with her difficulties, she was forced to grow up quickly, much like Inuyasha. He looked down again with sad eyes, waiting for the girl to continue._

"_I don't like to think about where she might be now; the fire, the pain… Then papa- I mean, Inuyasha came along and he changed everything."_

_The girl felt nervous calling the hanyou her papa, but from the monk's warm smile, she guessed he didn't mind it. She cleared her throat and continued, "I'm just scared. If he doesn't come back then what's going to happen to me? I have no one else, I have no where to go!" Aiko sniffled a bit, trying not to cry and look weak._

"_It's okay to shed tears for the ones you love Aiko. It's okay to be afraid, but don't let the fear make you lose hope. Don't let the panic control you. Inuyasha is going to make it. I know it because you and I both know how stubborn he is, right?" _

_The young girl smiled and nodded, realizing that she couldn't lose hope; she would stay strong for her new father._

_~x~x~x~End flashback~x~x~x~_

Miroku understood that if Inuyasha didn't make it, two more lives would be greatly affected. Shippo was no longer the only one who looked up to the gruff half-demon as a father, but Aiko was now added to the picture. The monk knew that he and Sango would gladly care for both of them, along with Kagome, if death had claimed the hanyou. He was just hoping the fates were on their side. As the monk and slayer went about their daily chores, time slowly began to eat away at their racing minds.

It was nearly mid-afternoon when everyone sat down for a late lunch and there was still no word from the west. Kaede had told them that she'd sent Kirara to the demon lord's castle to find out what was going on and everyone was a little apprehensive. The neko should have returned by now and no one understood why it was taking so long.

As everyone sat down in a circle around the giant pot of mushroom stew the elder priestess had prepared, she began scooping the hardy soup in to the bowls. When the last bowl was served, they slowly began to eat, occasionally blowing on the hot liquid to cool it down.

The group sat in silence, everyone thinking the same thing, but not knowing what exactly to say. However, silence wasn't the best way to pass the time, so Miroku decided to speak up first. But when he opened his mouth, a scream of agony flew out instead as a bowl of scalding stew landed on his lap.

The monk, now burning in pain, thrashed around rather violently, glaring at the kit that unexpectedly leapt onto his shoulder and then jumped over the pot, causing Miroku to spill his hot food on himself as he raced outside.

Desperately trying to help the houshi, Sango rushed to his aid while Aiko chased after Shippo.

"Shippo!" the you girl screamed, wondering why he'd taken off so suddenly. She ran as fast as she could to catch up with him, and luckily, he didn't get far before he stopped. The sun was just beginning to set and she didn't think either of them should be out alone.

"Shippo," she repeated between breaths, "what are you doing?! What's going on?" Doubling over, she sank to her knees, gasping for air. Man, that kit could run fast!

"I smelled Kirara, she should be here any second!" The young kit proclaimed with enthusiasm and eagerness.

Just then, a ball of flame could be seen on the horizon, steadily getting larger, and from what Shippo could tell, Kirara had a piece of parchment in her jaws.

After a few moments, the houshi settled down and the intense burning on his thighs subsided. Grabbing his staff, the monk voice hi concern for the children. "I don't know what had Shippo so worked up, but we need to find them. Neither of them should be outside alone right now. They couldn't have gotten too far. Come Sango, let's go look for-"

With an 'ooof', the wind was knocked out of him and Miroku staggered back. Three bodies had collided with his own just as he turned to leave.

"Kirara! You're back!" the exterminator exclaimed, instantly seeing the parchment in her mouth and taking it. Giving her feline a pat on the head and ignoring the grunts of pain from the monk who was sprawled out on the floor, Sango opened the scroll. As she began to read, the children, Kaede, and the doubled over monk listened intently to her every word.

By the time she finished the letter from Ryuu, the monk was now crushing her in a hug, which she happily returned and both the children were jumping up and down with tears of joy. Kaede left quietly with a smile on her face, deciding to make her evening rounds at the village.

The dragon had apologized for keeping them waiting, but Kirara had to take a rest before beginning the long journey back to the village. He gave them the good news that they're stubborn hanyou was alive and well, refusing to stay down with out a fight. Sesshomaru had revived him, through an unexpected occurrence, which Inuyasha would have to explain later. Their new companion to the group said he, Inuyasha, and Kagome would all be returning at nightfall, when he could transform and easily transport them all home.

_Back at the castle:_

Slim arms wrapped around a muscular chest as golden eyes scanned the courtyard from a third floor window in the castle. Inuyasha sighed happily as his mate tightened her hold around him, resting her head on his back. The half demon turned around and scooped her up, depositing her in his lap as he sat on the edge of the sill, watching the sun slowly set. He absentmindedly began to run his fingers through the woman's hair, removing the tangles and effectively making it silky smooth and shining in the bits of sunlight that danced along the horizon.

Everything was finally right in his life. Kikyo's soul had been set free, Aiko was released from her nightmare, his family was finally safe… and Kagome. Now _his_ Kagome, loved him just as much as he loved her. They were mates and his life was looking up. He knew that from this point on, things could only get better. His trials and tribulations were over, and the only new challenges that lay ahead were one's that he welcomed. Thinking of the future made him think about a family of his own. He already had one, but his mind drifted to the thought of having his own pups. A notion that, before he met his miko, he never once considered could befall someone such as himself. He knew that Kagome accepted both Aiko and Shippo wholeheartedly, but he also knew that she, too, would want pups of her at some point. That challenge, he mused, would be one he looked forward to.

A light knock was heard at the door, and from the scent, Inuyasha could tell that is was Ryuu. Not exactly wanting to relinquish his hold on his mate, he begrudgingly let her out of his lap so she could answer it.

"Inuyasha, Kagome, I'm glad the two of you are rested well," Ryuu spoke as he entered the room. He continued after he closed the door behind him, "But as you can see my time is very limited before I begin to transform. I reasoned that you could both travel on my back as you did when we arived, so we can get back faster. I sent a note with Kirara to our friends letting them know when we will arrive and the good news regarding your… revival, Inuyasha."

The hanyou nodded with a small smile at his new friend, "Very well then, let's head back now. I'm sure that bastard of a brother of mine wants us out of his castle anyway."

Slapping his arm at his language, the miko shook her head. "You know, you could be a little more grateful. That '_Bastard' _did safe your life after all!"

"Keh, He probably only did it so he could torture me more later." With a small smirk the hanyou watched his mate throw her hands in the air, swing the door open, and stomp off down the hall.

"While I am extremely grateful, I will agree with the fact that Sesshomaru might want us out of his home. He didn't seem too pleased when I talked with him earlier." Thinking back to his conversation with the tai-youkai, he added, "He's not very pleasant to talk to, is he?" It was more of a statement than a question.

With a sneer, the hanyou retorted, "Yeah we don't talk much, I normally just shove my Tetsiagua up his-"

"Inuyasha! Hurry up!" yelled an irate miko from down the hall.

Now situated aboard a rather large dragon, the couple glanced back at the castle as it began to disappear into the distance. Even though he didn't really like his brother too much, Inuyasha had to admit that things were changing between them. He never hated the demon, but what he _did_ despise were Sesshomaru's actions and feelings toward him. His sibling never accepted him because of the human blood that ran through his veins. Inuyasha realized now, however, that perhaps time had changed his brother.

As Ryuu steadily increased speed, Inuyasha tightened his grip around Kagome and buried his face in her hair, taking in her scent. Kissing her neck softly, the hanyou smiled at the thought of them being reunited with their family. Kagome leaned in and kissed her mate on the lips, smiling a radiant, loving smile that was full of life and happiness.

_With Sesshomaru:_

White knuckles gripped the banister on the balcony, claws digging into the old wood, nearly splintering it under the force. For the life of him, Sesshomaru didn't understand why he'd gotten so angry when his fang refused to breathe life into his brother. He realized his animosity for his brother may have faded over the years, but he still didn't particularly like him. So why was he so upset if the sword wouldn't bring him back?

'_Be honest with yourself. You knew it wasn't his time, and regardless of your feelings on the matter, you were upset because you should have been.'_

That begged another question for the demon lord to contemplate. What exactly _were_ his feelings on the matter? Taking in a deep calming breath, the older brother let the serenity of the wind and quiet, soothing aura from forest envelope and calm his racing mind. Looking out over the vast landscape and seeing how tranquil the view was beneath the moonlight made him release his death grip on the banister and smirk despite his prior thoughts. Nature was calling out to him, thanking him for returning the one that had been lost far too soon. The wind and the trees were telling Sesshomaru that he had done the right thing and it was time to let go of the past. Long ago he had already let go of his bottled up hatred, but could he completely change and actually accept Inuyasha?

'_Yes, I believe it is a time for new beginnings for me as well as you, little brother. My past of hatred and disgust and your past of pain and suffering will both end now.'_ For the first time in the tai-youkai's life, a ghost of a smile graced his features.

_At the village:_

Sitting around a campfire, and enjoying the company of friends, everyone had a smile on their face. Ryuu, Inuyasha, and Kagome returned to a huge welcome, complete with tears, jumping for joy, and hugs from their cherished ones. The hanyou's usual gruffness was forgotten on this night, for he was overwhelmed by the love and acceptance from the people around him.

Ryuu took a bite from the roasted boar and stared at the katana at his hip, still completely bewildered. Kaede had taken it upon herself to procure a talisman that could keep his demon blood at bay as long as he was near it. She then infused its power with a spare katana that the slayer had. Much like Inuyasha's fang, this sword would keep his demon blood in check as long as he was near it, and during the night, it would allow him to keep his human form.

"I have to hand it to the old hag on this one," Kagome elbowed her hanyou, "she did a damn good job with that katana. Even though it's nothing compared to the Tetsiagua, it's a fairly nice blade."

Ryuu smiled and flipped the blade over in his hands, "I am still surprised something like this was even possible, but I guess after hearing about your fang, Inuyasha, I knew there had to be some way to do it. I am so grateful to all of you, but are you positive it's okay for me to stay with you all?"

"You already know too much. If you leave now, I'll just have to kill you anyway." Even though everyone knew his words meant that Ryuu was already part of their family, his remark earned him another elbow from his mate. As a result, the food in his mouth flew out, unfortunately hitting the monk in the face. Laughing at the houshi's usual misfortune, the gang began to tell stories of their journeys to the young dragon.

Aiko was snuggled up against her father's side, his left arm protectively wrapped around her, and his right arm, around his mate in much the same manner while Shippo was on her lap curled into a ball. Kirara snoozed by her mistress' feet as the slayer and the monk sat beside each other, their hands clasped together. Ryuu was off to the side, speaking with Kaede and Inuyasha smiled with pride. His family was with him and he finally felt complete.

This was a time for a new life and new beginnings.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

**The End**

* * *

[1]&[2]- Referring to two episodes from the anime (if my memory serves me correctly), where Sango and Miroku had times of indecision and weakness. Both instances they were going to kill themselves, but Inuyasha prevented both of them from doing so. I don't remember the episodes, and after nearly an hour of searching, I still had no luck…sorry

**A/N- **After two years on hiatus I can't say this is perfect but it's the best I could do. I apologize if this chapter seems out of place, but due to being away from this story for so long I just didn't have the same connection with it as I once did. After I sent it away to be scrutinized and corrected by the 'Notorious One', I think it came out nicely, though she is probably the only reason it is acceptable. My first draft was full of grammar mistakes and with her help, it became presentable for you guys

**For my readers: **I would like to express my gratitude to anyone and everyone who read and enjoyed this story. Even more so to the people who started this story with me and saw it through to the end, supporting me the whole way. I want to thank every person for reviewing this story and always giving me those words of encouragement when I really needed it. You guys are what made me get back into gear and find the determination to finish this story.

I love all of you so much, and thank-you!

Sincerely yours, theruthlesscow


End file.
